Equinox
by Elizabeth Watson
Summary: Sequel to Solstice/Day Break. Nessie and Jacob have been married for a year, and already, things are about to change again. Trouble is brewing in the vampire world. Along with the Winters, they must stop the forces at work before they lose everything.
1. Chapter 1

**Equinox**

By Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson  
Betas: idancelikeacardboardbox, Aphrael-08

As was mentioned in the description, this is a sequel, therefore if you wish to understand what's going on in this story, we highly suggest that you start with our preceding story, Solstice (which was previously called Day Break).

Author's Note (applying to all chapters): We created our own ideas and characters. The rest belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

* * *

"Love involves a peculiar, unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding." - Diane Arbus

* * *

Chapter One

It was a morning befitting of a reunion. It was a typical autumn day for the West coast: drizzly, overcast and mild. But to me, it was breathtakingly beautiful. I had been counting down to this day for months.

"Here we are," Jacob, my husband and my lifelong best friend said as we turned off of the highway and drove up the familiar paved driveway that led home.

I looked out the window at the towering trees of birch and maple lining either side of the narrow lane, their yellow-and-auburn foliage juxtaposing the charcoal-grey sky magnificently. I'd forgotten how picturesque Vancouver could be in the year that Jacob and I had spent traveling the world on our honeymoon.

"Do you think they've heard us yet?" Jacob asked as we turned the last corner before the straight stretch that led to the massive garage that my father and uncle had built. As the words left his mouth, the front door slammed open. The sight of our entire family streaming down the stairs answered his question for me. "Ten bucks says that they swarm us before we even get to the door," he commented.

I snorted. "Thirty says they swarm us before we get out of the _car_," I replied.

Sure enough, all twelve of them had surrounded Jacob's silver Aston Martin within seconds.

"Three," Jacob said, unbuckling his seat belt.

"Two," I said, unbuckling mine as well and reaching for the door latch.

"One," he said, opening his door. We stepped out in unison, and were immediately engulfed by our welcoming party. I hugged and greeted each of my family members in turn, their smiles and laughter only adding to my bliss.

When at last I reached my parents, my father kissed my forehead. "Welcome home. We've missed you."

"Thanks, Daddy," I smiled. "We missed you too."

"Oh, no _fair_," Mom groaned as she stepped forward to hug me. I stood an inch or two taller than her now. "You're not supposed to be _taller_ than me! Who gave you permission to grow?"

I laughed and hugged her. "Sorry, Momma."

"I'll get over it," she said. "We're just so happy to see you, baby."

"Did you have a good time?" Grandma Esme asked as my parents guided me back to the house.

"It was absolutely amazing," I said. "Thanks again, Aunt Alice," I said, turning my head to look at my little aunt.

She grinned back. "My pleasure. Did you take lots of pictures?"

Before I could reply, Ian blurted out, "Did you go to Ortona? What about Versailles?" The massive dark-haired vampire and his adoptive brother Rob had joined our family two years ago along with their telepathic half-breed mates, Tara and Emily.

"Ian," Tara said, cutting him off in her pleasant soprano voice. "At least let her get inside before you start grilling her."

"Sorry," Ian said sheepishly.

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. As a veteran of World War Two, he'd had a list of European destinations that he'd been eager for us to see. "It's okay, Ian."

"Motor-mouth," Emily smirked, hitting his arm.

"Shut up," Ian retorted.

"I see you two are still getting along well," I said mirthfully.

"What can I say, we just have a violent affection for each other," Emily said, punching her brother in the kidney.

"Please," Rob said, pulling her away from him. "_Try_ to act your ages." Rob looked at me and sighed. "Glad to have you back."

"Thanks," I said, giving him a sympathetic look. I was herded inside before I could say more. I had barely managed to sit before Ian recommenced his interrogation. I tried to reply to each of his questions as I waited for Jacob. When he appeared at last, Tara silenced Ian once more and the gathering took on a strangely formal feeling as everyone took a seat except for Grandpa Carlisle, the patriarch of our family, and Rob, the leader of the Winter's coven.

"First, we really are thrilled to see you both," Grandpa Carlisle smiled at Jake and me. We smiled back. "I know I speak for everyone when I say that you have been very deeply missed."  
I blushed slightly as everyone nodded. I slapped Jacob's arm as he snickered at the colour of my face.

"We missed you too," Jacob said.

"Darn right you did," Uncle Emmett grinned.

"Except for Emmett," Jacob added.

It was my turn to snicker at Uncle Emmett. Everyone chuckled with me.

"You kind of walked into that one, bud," Ian told him.

"Anyway," Rob said, still grinning. "Nessie, Jacob, there've been several developments since you left."

"Did the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup?" Jacob asked.

Everyone laughed again.

"Actually, this news is a bit more…plausible," Rob said. "Firstly, in four weeks, we will be relocating to Washington. Ocean Shores, to be exact."

"And we're bringing Jeff!" Emily announced. Jeff was Leah's imprint and had been romantically fixated on Tara for an entire year. Judging by the murderous look that Ian shot her, his feelings towards the mildly-pathetic human had not improved.

I saw Rob drop his gaze and purse his lips to keep from smiling in the corner of my eye.

"Sure, Rob," Ian muttered. "Encourage her psychosis."

"We've already bought a house and chosen what we intend to do when we move in, except, of course, for you two," Grandpa Carlisle continued.

I looked at Jacob, who shrugged slightly. "Uh…well, why Ocean Shores?"

"It's close enough to La Push to make Jacob's job easier but far enough away from Forks that people won't recognize us," he explained. "As it stands, Rob and Emily will be working with me at the hospital, Emmett is applying for a job at a play school, Jasper and your parents will be attending the University of Washington, Ian will be teaching history there and everyone else wants to stay home."

I blinked. "Just…what?" I looked at Uncle Emmett.

"I like kids," he smiled. "I was hoping there'd be a bouncer position open nearby, but childcare was the next best thing."

I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Aunt Rose. She shrugged. I turned on my parents next. "University? Really? Dad, you already have more degrees than a fever, and Mom, you said you didn't want to go to university for at least a century," I pointed out.

"What can I say, I promised your Dad that I would," she replied.

"Ian?"

"That's Professor McMaster to you," he grinned. "I'm also partial to Dr. McMaster."

"Explain?"

"I'm teaching American History," he said. "I figured I might as well. I've been around for half of it."

"Barely," Emily snorted.

"Please," Rob sighed, closing his eyes.

"Do you two have any idea of what you might like to do?" Grandma Esme asked. "If you want to go to school, we're going to have to enrol you right away."

I looked at Jacob again. "What about university, Jake? We can just have a high school diploma made up for you."

The Winters laughed. "Wait, she was kidding, right?" Tara said quietly.

"Nope," Aunt Rose replied smugly.

Jacob ignored her. "Why not? Might as well give it a spin."

"Are you sure?" Dad said quickly, ever the perpetually over-protective worrier. "There really is literally no time limit."

"Dad…"I began.

"I know, I know, I'm merely saying that there are other options," he said defensively.

"Edward, breathe," Mom said. "She's a big girl now. She can handle university."

I nodded my head in thanks.

Dad opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again and began to fidget.

"It's settled, then," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Esme, Alice, Em, how goes everything with the house?"

"The construction is going well. Esme and I spoke to them this morning," Emily reported.

"We're adding a few hundred square feet, plus a third floor," Aunt Alice said, answering my question before I even asked it.

"Of course, if you and Jacob would prefer your own home, we'd understand," Grandma Esme said softly.

"Don't," Aunt Alice said sharply to Uncle Emmett as he started to chortle.

I blushed again. "No, we can handle living with all of you."

Dad cringed. Jacob laughed.

* * *

"So," I said to Jacob as we walked our path behind the house that night, swinging our joined hands. "What're we going to study at university?"

"Hmm," he said. "I don't know. Whatever you choose."

I chuckled. "Helpful, Jacob."

"We should definitely take Ian's class, though. I'm dying to see him try to do a serious job."

I laughed. "True. Plus we can cheat on the exam."

"How?"

"Tara."

He smiled slowly. "That," he said, wrapping an arm around me. "That right there. That mischievous mind. I absolutely love that about you."

I laughed again and leaned into his side. We fell into a comfortable silence for a time.

"So how badly do you think having us living at home is going to damage Edward mentally?" he asked finally.

"Well, let's think about this logically," I said. "The man who pursued his wife for years is now his daughter's newly-wedded husband, and not only that, but he possesses virtually unlimited access to said man's mind. I give him two months before he snaps."

"Generous," Jacob nodded. "I was thinking along the lines of a week or two."

"Go easy on him," I pleaded. "You know how hard it was for him to be okay with this."

"I know, I know," he said. "And I do appreciate him coming around."

"He didn't have a whole lot of other options," I pointed out.

"Good point."

"How do you suppose my mom's handling this?" I wondered aloud.

"Better than I expected," he nodded. "But it's still weird for her. Trust me, Bells thinks she has us fooled, but she's not loving the transition."

I looked up at his handsome russet face. "It never ceases to amazes me how quickly you can read her."

He scoffed. "She's not hard to figure out. You two have that in common." He smiled teasingly. "Come on. Your dad's going to come looking for us soon."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. You shook him up pretty thoroughly this afternoon."

"As the son-in-law, that's my job," he grinned as we came to a stop. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me, instantly setting my blood on fire.

* * *

"Okay," Emily said, prancing into the living room where Jacob, my parents and I were watching a movie the following morning. "Sorry to hit you with business so soon, but we need you to choose a room colour today." Emily produced a plastic bag that appeared to be filled with décor magazines and paint chips. "Again, I do apologize. The contractors weren't going to work on your room until next week, but…well, Jasper and Emmett took a 'motivational' trip down a few weeks ago and they've sort of been working like their lives depend upon it ever since."

I shook my head and smiled. "How typical."

She chuckled. "Anyway, let me know if you need any help," she said.

"Thanks," I said. As soon as she was out of the room, I shoved the bag under the couch.

"You're not picking a colour?" Mom asked.

"She and Aunt Alice will have one picked for us anyway," I said.

"And then they'll argue with us until we agree with their choice," Jacob finished.

She conceded to our point. "So have you decided what you're going to take in university yet?"

I shook my head.

"What about something in literacy?" Dad suggested. "You love reading."

I considered that. My fondness of reading was a gift inherited from my mother. "Huh. That'd be fun." I looked at Jacob.

He grimaced. "Books? Really?"

I smiled endearingly. "Please? Please Jacob?"

"You know I hate reading."

"All right, all right, I'll choose something else," I said. I looked at my parents. "What're you two doing?"

"Well…literacy," Dad admitted.

I shook my head and smiled. "You're really desperate to keep an eye on us, aren't you?"

"No," he said quickly.

"Lie," Emily proclaimed from the level above. Aside from sharing telepathy with her sister, she was also our resident lie detector. She had a gift for discerning honesty in people's words and could even force them to tell the truth.

Dad sighed and glared in her general direction.

Jacob snickered. "Having someone in your head really bites, huh, Edward?"

"Technically, I'm not in his head," Emily said as she descended the stairs from the floor above us.

"Whatever," Jacob replied dismissively. "The point is that it's just _got _to suck to have someone else calling _your _bluffs for once, now doesn't it?"

Dad tactfully did not respond, but rolled his eyes.

I elbowed Jacob and mouthed "be nice". He snickered again but fell silent.

We spent a significant part of the day going through university pamphlets and course books to decide what we would take, but by the day's end, we were no closer to deciding on a direction of study than we had been that morning.

"You know," said Jacob as we walked back to my old room that night. "If you really want to do literacy, I'm okay with that. I can grin and bear it."

I shook my head. "No. I want us to do something that you really want to do, too. I know you have this tendency to want to do everything my way, but it's important that we do this _our_ way. It's not all about me, as much as you seem to think that it is."

He chuckled. "Well, then thank you, because reading books for an entire year would probably kill me."

I smiled as we made our way down the hallway. I stopped when I got to the spot where my door should have been and frowned. Had I really managed to forget the layout of the house in just one year? "Um…I could've _sworn_ that my door used to be right there," I said, pointing to where I had remembered the entrance to my room being. I looked up at Jake.

His brow was furrowed. "Yeah, me too." He touched the wall experimentally.

"Oh, we forgot to tell you," Aunt Rose said from the library at the end of the hallway. She appeared at the door with a mildly shamefaced expression. "We uh…remodelled your room into an office for Rob, and we filled the door in. The entrance is through the library now. Your new room is in the basement. I hope you don't mind."

I should have figured. Stick the newlyweds as far away as possible from the rest of the house's occupants. This was clearly my father's doing. "No, that's fine," I said. "Thanks, Aunt Rose."

She gave me a slightly awkward smile. "My pleasure."

Jacob and I made our way to the basement. "Edward," we muttered in unison.

"He's one crafty old bloodsucker," Jacob said admiringly.

I was surprised once again as we opened the door at the base of the stairs leading to the basement. The basement had been comprised of two rooms when we had left: Jacob's and a den. The space was now distinctly modern, and was divided into several rooms. There was a wide hallway with a set of doors on either side. At the end of the hall was what appeared to be a common area. In the common area, there was a sizeable TV situated against one wall, with a couch and coffee table positioned in front of it. One wall was entirely covered in books – _my_ books, as I noticed upon closer inspection, as well as dozens of other new ones. I also noticed that Jacob's gaming system was already hooked up to the TV.

My jaw fell open.

Jacob whistled appreciatively. "Esme rocks."

"No kidding," I murmured, stunned. "_Wow_," I commented as we made our way through the rest of the suite. Grandma Esme had clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this.

"That's an understatement," Jacob said, smiling. "This is cool."

Curious, I walked back out of the bathroom and opened the doors to the second room. It was just as large, but slightly more simple. The first item to catch my attention was a large white bed with black accents centred on the western wall with a night table on either side.

I looked at Jacob, who was still looking around the room. He met my eyes. "Let's go check out that other set of doors," he suggested.

I shook my head. "Tomorrow," I said, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"'Morning," Grandma Esme smiled brightly as we entered the living room the following morning.

I walked over and hugged her wordlessly.

She laughed. "I take it that you like your surprise?"

"It is _phenomenal_. Thank you so much."

"Ditto," Jacob seconded. "You have crazy skills, Esme."

"You're very welcome," she said. "But I can't take all of the credit. I had quite a bit of help from the others."

"Eh, newlyweds!" Uncle Emmett said as he joined us. "Just the sappy couple I was looking for. There's a thunderstorm coming in today, and we're just about to humble the Winters with some good old-fashioned baseball. Care to join us?"

"I'm in," Jacob said quickly. "It's going to feel so good to finally school them in something." He and Uncle Emmett exchanged high-fives.

All four of the Winters were exceptionally talented at hockey, which was a fact they had acquainted us with soon after moving in. They routinely destroyed us during family games, which they took immense pride in. It had been a particularly unpleasant experience for Uncle Emmett, who was not accustomed to being second best at a sport.

"Esme?" Uncle Emmett asked.

She hesitated.

"Please?" he begged. "We need an umpire."

"All right," she smiled. "I'll be along shortly."

"Excellent," Uncle Emmett said. "Everyone's already on their way to the field. Suit up and meet us there in five."

"Meet you there in four," Jacob said, narrowing his eyes. Like Uncle Emmett, he hadn't been particularly fond of being habitually creamed by the Winters.

Jacob and I changed into our baseball outfits (as created by Aunt Alice) and then ran hand-in-hand to our new baseball field. It was deep in the forest that shrouded our home so as not to draw suspicion. The sky was dark when we arrived. I could smell the imminent rain and lightning in the air.

"There they are," I heard Dad say as we neared the clearing.

"So," said Uncle Emmett, taking centerfield as we arrived. "Rose, Edward, Bells, Alice, Jake, you're with me, Nessie, Jazz, you're with Rob, Em, Ian and T."

Ian, Emily and Tara chuckled suddenly. Rob looked like he was trying not to smile.

"What's so funny?" Uncle Emmett demanded.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Cullen?" Ian chortled. "Are you sure you don't want to divide us up a little more?"

"More than sure, McMaster," Uncle Emmett shot back. "It's time we taught you four a lesson."

"All right," Emily said resignedly. "But don't say we didn't warn you."

Uncle Emmett hesitated and looked at Dad.

Dad shrugged. "Tara's blocking me."

"Your team bats first, Stanton," Uncle Emmett said as the rest of his team dispersed to their places.

"What's going on?" I asked Emily.

She chortled darkly. "Just you wait and see."

I looked at the field to see Aunt Alice move to stand on the pitcher's mound, toying with the ball, her gaze distant as she watched the future play out before her eyes. She frowned after a moment and glared at Tara. "Stop that!" she said. "That's cheating!"

"I am not," Tara said innocently. "I'm just making the game fairer."

I smiled. Tara had an extremely powerful shield, more powerful even than my mother's, although limited to a forty metre radius. She'd recently discovered that this power also had the ability to block Aunt Alice's visions of the future when she extended it over enough people, a fact which she'd been enjoying immensely.

"All right, who wants to go first?" Rob asked.

"I believe the better question would be, who wants Rob to bat last?" Ian said.

I frowned slightly and glanced at Uncle Jasper, wondering if perhaps he knew what was happening. He looked as mystified as I was.

"I vote yes," Emily said automatically.

"I vote _heck_ yes," Ian replied.

"Motion carried," Tara said.

Rob chuckled. "If you insist. Now why don't we figure out who's going to go first?"

"I will!" Tara said enthusiastically.

He chuckled and tossed her the bat. "Knock yourself out, young'un. Who wants to go after her?"

"I will," I offered. All I wanted was to get my turn over with.

"Great," he said. "After her?"

"Me," Ian said, standing behind me.

Uncle Jasper and Emily followed him, with Rob taking the last place.

"Goody," Aunt Alice smiled menacingly. "Ready, T?"

She smiled back. "Do your worst."

I winced. Aunt Alice was an incredible pitcher, and now she was irritated with her. This would not be pretty for our team.

Aunt Alice squinted her eyes for a moment, and then gave up with an irritated sigh. Drawing her arm back, she threw a powerful screwball at Tara. She hit it back just as a clap of thunder rolled overhead. It began to rain presently.

"That's my girl!" Ian called as she ran to first base.

Picking up my bat, I made my way up to the plate and sighed.

"Ready?" Aunt Alice asked.

"Yes," I said unwillingly.

She threw me a very basic pitch. I could tell she was trying to be easy on me. My dislike for baseball had never been a secret. I hit it back with little effort, and was mildly proud of myself when I noticed how far it went. I ran to first base just as Grandma Esme caught the ball.

"Well done," Aunt Rose smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks," I replied.

"So do you like your suite?"

"It's amazing. You guys did an incredible job with it."

She beamed. "Good. Did you notice the new books?"

"Yes. They're great. Thanks."

"You're very welcome, but I can't take all the credit. That was largely Bella."

I was about to reply when Ian batted. I flashed over to second base, which was guarded by my mother.

"Hey," she said. "Nice batting, by the way."

"Thanks," I said.

"Especially considering that you hate this game."

I laughed. "And here I'd been trying so hard to hide it."

She chuckled. "It's not my favourite either, but your uncles and your dad really enjoy it."

"I know, I know, so we have to suck it up for them," I said, finishing her lecture for her.

Our conversation was cut short when Uncle Jasper took his turn. I made my way to third base, which was Uncle Emmett's post. He looked at me briefly. "Hi," he said, and then returned his full attention to the game. "Hey, Edward! Why don't you try _catching _a few of these?" he called over his shoulder. "I thought you were supposed to be the fast one!"

"Would you like to switch places, then, Emmett?" Dad said coolly.

"No, I want you to _catch the ball_." He sighed and faced forward once more. "Amateurs."

I laughed. "So you're the expert?"

He blinked. "I'm sorry? I don't understand the question."

I rolled my eyes.

Emily batted next. It was fairly average play, which made me wonder all the more as to what had made them so confident in themselves before as I ran to home plate.

"_Tara_!" Aunt Alice snapped. "Stop that _now_!"

"Stop what?" Tara asked innocently.

Aunt Alice gave her a withering look and then drew her arm back and hurled the ball at Rob. I instantly understood why Rob, Emily and Ian had been so insistent that he go last. He hit it back with catastrophic force, even by vampire standards, sending the ball whizzing far above the forest. He then casually met Emily at first base and the two waltzed around the remaining bases.

My mouth fell open. I looked accusingly at Tara, who was standing beside me.

She merely snickered in reply.

"Excellent, Rob!" Grandma Esme encouraged.

"Why thank you, Esme," he said.

I looked at Uncle Emmett next as Rob and Emily passed him on third base. Rob gave him a simpering smile and paused to pat his shoulder as they floated past. Uncle Emmett glowered at him wordlessly.

"You four just have to be freaking professionals at _everything_, don't you," Jacob said disgustedly.

"Come now," Ian laughed. "Don't be sore losers. Besides, we did warn you."

"Where did you learn to play like that?" I asked Rob incredulously as they rejoined us.

He smiled. "I had four brothers as a human, and sports were really the only way for us to amuse ourselves without getting into trouble."

"But that was like, two hundred years ago, wasn't it?" I asked.

He chuckled. "One hundred and fifty thank you very much."

"Old," Ian muttered.

Dad returned several moments later, shaking his head. "I really can't find the ball."

Ian laughed loudly and then began to sing "We are the Champions".

"So that's what you were so happy about before," I remarked to Emily.

"It's not my fault Rob's good at baseball," she said. "That's another one of those skills that he's been crafting since he was a human."

"And how many other little secret talents are you hiding from us?" I said, nudging her.

She smirked. "If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets, would they? No, you'll simply have to learn over time." She sighed contentedly and looked around. "Well, that's the game then, isn't it?" There was more than a hint of smugness in her tone.

"No," Uncle Emmett said fiercely, procuring a second baseball from his pocket. "I brought backup."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Oh Uncle Emmett."

"What?" he said defensively. "I came here to flatten some overly-cocky Winters, and that is what I'm going to do."

Emily looked in the direction which Rob had hit the ball. "Good job," she smiled tauntingly.

His eyes narrowed.

"No, no, Emily's right," Aunt Alice said. "We need to get back. We have much to do."

"No!" Uncle Emmett and Jacob protested in unison. "We're only halfway through the game, and Emmett Cullen does not leave a game half-finished!"

"Neither does Jacob Black!" Jacob added.

"Well then we'll just have to finish this later, because there's far too much to be done and hardly any time to do it," Aunt Alice said. "None of you are hardly anywhere with your packing."

"And we've still got a house to decorate," Emily added. "So we also need your choices – well, I suppose preferences would be more accurate – by the end of the day." She looked straight at me. "That means you, Renesmee."

"Yes, Emily," I sighed.

"But–" Uncle Emmett began to say.

"Nope," Aunt Alice interrupted. "We have work to do, Emmett."

He sighed and looked at his bat longingly.

"Race you back to the house," Jacob said to him.

Uncle Emmett guffawed. "Are you sure you really want to be embarrassed in front of your wife's whole family, wolf-boy? Again?"

Jacob took off for the trees, Uncle Emmett close behind him. Jacob maintained the lead until the edge of the clearing, at which point he turned around to look at Uncle Emmett and promptly slammed into a tree. I cringed.

Ian and Uncle Emmett burst out laughing. Dad and Uncle Jasper looked like they were trying very hard not to, and Aunt Rose looked very satisfied.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: We apologize for posting so late; we were busy watching the Olympic coverage of the women's hockey game. Congratulations Canada on winning gold!

-Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson

* * *

Chaper Two

"For you," Grandma Esme said, delivering yet another armful of empty boxes to our suite.

I looked up from the box I was currently filling. "Thanks." I sat back on my heels and sighed. "I feel badly. You went to all this work to put this suite together and now we're moving again already."

She smiled. "That's all right. We'll come back some day."

"We're keeping the house?"

She nodded and set to work filling another box.

Good. I liked it here. "Are the Winters keeping theirs?"

"Yes. Rebecca and Ajay came back a few months ago and they've been staying there ever since."

I looked at her in surprise. "Rebecca and Ajay are here? Really?" Rebecca was one of Emily and Tara's thirteen half-siblings. She and her vampire husband Ajay had testified against William on our behalf during our latest confrontation with the Volturi. They'd been Emily's back up plan when her attempt to save us by sacrificing her own life had failed. Without their contributions, that day would have gone very differently for us.

She nodded again and pushed a caramel-coloured lock of hair out of her face. "They spent most of the past year looking for William, but Emily figures that he's probably realized that they're working with Aro by now. They're going to lay low for a while before they try again."

"Demetri hasn't even had any luck?"

"No. Carlisle thinks that he might share Alice's blindness to half-breeds."

That would explain how Joham had managed to survive the Volturi's search for him after our first Volturi scare. Joham was William's creator and the father of the only half-breed we'd ever known before we'd met the Winters, Nahuel. Nine years earlier, he'd attested to the docility of half-breed temperament for us before the Volturi when they'd first tried to destroy us. "And Rebecca thinks he's with Joham?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Does anyone have any theories as two where they might have gone?"

She paused for a moment.

I frowned. This was unlike her. "Grandma?"

"Rebecca doesn't want Emily to know this, or Tara," she said, looking at me pointedly. "And of course that means Rob and Ian as well."

I nodded. "Of course. I won't say anything."

She sighed. "Emily's theory was that they'd gone back to South America. They both know how to go unnoticed there."

"But?" I prodded.

"But Rebecca thinks he's still here."

My eyes widened. "But that's impossible. There's no way the he could…surely we would…but Tara and Emily…" I tried to string together a coherent combination of words, but without success. My blood turned to ice in my veins. Finally, I managed to murmur, "So that's why we're moving," I realized aloud.

She nodded slightly. "Rebecca came to Carlisle and me as soon as they got back."

"Who else knows?"

"Edward, and therefore Bella."

Of course my parents would know.

"Carlisle thought that it would be best to keep the number of people in the know to a minimum so that the Winters don't get suspicious, particularly not Emily." With Emily's ability to force people to tell her the truth, his choice had been wise.

"They'll be furious when they find out," I murmured.

"Which is why it is imperative that they _don't_ find out." She gave me a serious look again.

"I understand," I said. "Can I at least tell Jacob?"

She smiled. "Of course."

I was silent for a moment and then frowned lightly as a second realization struck me. "Grandma, why did you tell me?"

She taped the box she'd just finished filling and labelled it. She smiled lightly, but there was something wrong. I could see it in her eyes. "No reason. I just thought you might like to know. I'll go find Em. I think she mentioned something about needing help with the kitchen."

I pretended to believe her. "Okay. Thanks for your help."

She smiled again. "My pleasure."

I watched her leave and then thought for a moment. _When would the secrets and lies end?_ I wondered. _Are all families as complicated as this? _Clearly there was something vital that she'd elected to keep from me; but what, and why?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Jacob coming down the stairs. "Hey," he said, shooting me the smile that still made my heart melt like heated butter.

"Hey," I replied.

"I figured I'd better stop slacking off and give you a hand."

"Really?" I said, folding my arms and looking at him sceptically. "And it's got nothing to do with the intriguing hushed conversation I had with Grandma Esme just now?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

I chuckled. "Come here."

He met my smile and came to sit beside me. He pressed his scorching lips to mine. When my head stopped spinning, I met his eyes again. "Well, go on. Ask."

"What did Esme say?"

I shifted to face him and crossed my legs. "I know why we're moving."

He waited for me to continue.

"We can't tell anyone," I cautioned him.

Interest gleamed in the depths of his bottomless dark eyes. "Go on."

"Rebecca wasn't able to find William."

He winced.

"She thinks that he's still here."

He stared at me in shock and then flew to his feet. "_What_? Are you serious? No! Hell no! Let's get him! Let's go! Right now! I'll call the pack!"

"No!" I said, jumping up and catching his hand. "Jacob, we can't. It is imperative that the Winters do not find out. We can't even make them suspicious. Just be calm, okay?"

He stared at me with wide-eyed alarm, his whole frame trembling. "Nessie, you don't understand. As long as he is alive, he's a threat to you, and I am _not_ okay with that."

"Hey," I said, touching his face. "I'm fine. I can defend myself. Besides, we don't even know for sure that he's actually here. So please, Jake, just calm down. Everything's fine, I promise."

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. The tremors that rocked his body ceased and he sat back down. He drew me into his lap and sighed. "I hate that this creepy idiot is always just one step in front of us, and I hate the idea that you're still in danger, even after all the crap with the Volturi was worked out."

"I'm okay," I vowed. "William doesn't scare me." Which was a huge, tremendous lie, but I didn't want to give him more reason than he already had to be protective. I laid my face against his neck to hide my expression in the hopes that he wouldn't catch my fib.

He slipped his arms around me, a chuckle rumbling deep in his chest. "Sure you're not," he said disbelievingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Can we leave the lie-detecting to Emily, please and thank you?"

"Did someone call?"

We both jumped in surprise as we turned to see Emily and Tara on the stairs, looking at us curiously.

"Whoa there," she said, holding up her hands. "We didn't mean to scare you. We just came to ask you if there was anything you needed. We're just about to go into town."

"Nope, we're good," I said quickly, shooting her what I hoped was a believable smile.

The sisters exchanged glances and then each raised an eyebrow. "Well then," Tara said. "That's…good. We'll um, see you later, I suppose."

"Yeah," I smiled. "Later. Right. Good."

They looked suspiciously at us and then went back up the stairs. Once they were out of earshot, I sighed. "I am such a _moron_."

"No you are not," Jacob reassured me. "But if you freak out a little less next time, they'll probably be a little less suspicious."

I smiled in spite of myself.

He was silent for a moment, seeming to struggle with something.

"What's bothering you?" I asked him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Okay, here's what I don't get. There's like, twelve little Taylors running around, not counting Emily, Tara and Rebecca, right? So how have they all managed to stay below the radar, especially with the Volturi still looking for them? Especially with their tracker?" he asked doubtfully. "I mean, sure, William's smart, but how does anyone pull that off?"

"Grandpa Carlisle thinks that Demetri may be blind to half-breeds, like Aunt Alice."

"But that wouldn't make him blind to William or William's creepy creator-friend. And William's got a mate, right? A vampire mate? That's got to even the odds a little."

"But think about it," I said. "Aunt Alice can't see people that she can normally see when they're surrounded by us."

"Good point," he commented.

"But what I can't figure out is why Grandma Esme would tell me," I said, only half aware of the fact that I had begun to pace. "She said that my parents were the only other ones that knew, and that they wanted as few people to know about this as possible, so that this would stay quiet. She knows how bad I am at lying," I said.

He smiled. "Hon, I think _everyone_ knows that."

"Shut up," I said, smiling in spite of myself. "But still, why risk telling me?"

He was silent for a moment as he considered that. Finally, he sighed and glanced at the stairs again. "I don't know, but we probably shouldn't talk about this anymore. The more we think about it, the more curious we'll make them."

I nodded. "You're right." I attempted to dismiss it immediately, but the idea of William being so close made my skin crawl in a way that made forgetting rather difficult. I returned to packing boxes and tried to comfort myself in the knowledge that he would never be stupid enough to try and attack us. If he'd been watching us, then he must have known that we would be a formidable threat, and if the story of what had happened with the Volturi the first time was as widespread as the Winters had told us, then he must know that we had no shortage of powerful friends. Nevertheless, William didn't seem like the sort of person to stop short of getting exactly what he wanted, and what William wanted was us – dead.

* * *

The rest of the week was devoted to packing. Jacob and I were finished by Wednesday. We were then assigned to help Emily and Rob finish packing what they'd chosen to bring from their own house. When two of the Volturi Guard had shown up to take Emily and Tara to Volterra to stand trial before Aro, Caius and Marcus, Ian had attacked them in their defence. Thinking he had killed them, the four had then come to us, afraid that Aro would send more of his Guard after them. They'd been living with us ever since, minus an interlude of a few months after we'd returned from our brush with disaster in Forks.

"Where're you going?" Ian called as the four of us walked to the oversized garage, Tara trailing behind him.

"Oh there you are," Emily said dryly. "You've been rather scarce of late, Ian." He'd been hiding out in various remote parts of the house to avoid packing. He'd done the same thing when they'd moved in with us.

He grinned. "Miss me?"

Rob jumped in before she could retort. "We're just about to go back to the house and figure out what we'll be bringing."

"And they're dragging us along," Jacob complained. I elbowed him in the ribs.

Rob looked at him apologetically and then told them, "You're welcome to come."

"We're in," Tara said.

"Can we take the Bugatti, Em?" Ian begged.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"No."

Jacob and I chuckled at Ian's wounded expression and got into the Aston Martin.

"Just kidding." She tossed him a set of keys. Ian's face lit up instantly.

"Since when do we have a Bugatti, anyway?" Jacob asked as we pulled out onto the driveway.

"Oh, you know how Rob and my dad are."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I heard Rob call from behind us.

I laughed.

The Winter's house was slightly closer to town than ours was; the drive from our house was only about fifteen minutes long. But it was absolutely extravagant nonetheless. Jacob and I arrived first, with Rob and Emily not far behind. I marvelled at it once more as we pulled up. I'd only been here twice before: once for a post-prom sleepover, and then again for Tara and Ian's second wedding. It was enclosed by trees, and sprawled over a sizeable piece of land, but stood at only two stories as opposed to our four. It was gracefully-shaped, which did not surprise me considering they'd designed it themselves, according to Rob. One of them was bound to have studied architecture. Once we'd parked in the driveway, Rebecca appeared on the front lawn, smiling. I could see her mate standing just inside the doorway, watching us with a slightly wary expression. "Hello," Rebecca said warmly as Jacob and I got out. "It's good to see you two again."

"Hi, Rebecca," I smiled back, genuinely glad to see her. I doubted I would ever stop appreciating just how much she had risked by testifying for us. "It's good to see you too. How've you been?"

"We're well, thank you. How was your honeymoon?"

"Fantastic."

"Good," she said.

"When did you and Ajay get back?"

"About three months ago," she said. She sobered slightly. "I'm sure someone has filled you in."

"Grandma Esme did, yes," I said, looking at her purposefully.

She nodded, seeming to understand my meaning. "I see. So I imagine she gave you the full story." There was something wary about her expression.

"Most of it," I said. There was still something that all of them knew and none of them were ready to tell me.

She nodded again, but did not elaborate. "She did ask you not to tell my sisters, I trust?"

I nodded.

She glanced at Jacob.

"Scout's honour," he said, holding up his index and middle fingers.

She recovered her smile. "Thank you. Well, please do come in. Can I get anything for you?"

"Soda would be great," Jacob said.

"Of course," she said, leading us into the house. She touched Ajay's arm as she passed him and gave him a reassuring look. He stepped back as Jacob and I walked past. His eyes followed us untrustingly as though we were lepers that might try to contaminate him.

"Hello, Ajay," I said politely.

"Hello, Mrs. Black," he said in a light Indian accent, his eyes still fixed on Jacob. I was surprised by the pleasantness of his voice. I'd only ever heard him speak a handful of times. "It was kind of you to write to us whilst you were on your honeymoon."

I smiled. "It was the least I could do."

His eyes flashed to mine for a moment. "Was it a pleasant trip?" he asked, following me once Jacob had passed.

"Yeah, it was great. Thanks."

He bobbed his head from side to side as I had seen some of the other Indians in Vancouver do. What it meant, I hadn't a clue. I studied him out of the corner of my eye for a moment. His face was incredibly handsome, but hardened with wariness. He was fairly tall (when he wasn't standing beside Jacob), and well-built.

When we reached the kitchen, Jacob and I sat down on stools at the island that stretched along the centre of the room. Ajay drifted along behind us, stopping again in the doorway. Rebecca took a soda from the fridge and set it in front of Jacob, who thanked her. "Can I get anything for you, Renesmee?" she inquired.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." I was hoping to get a hunt in later.

"Very well," she said. She looked at Ajay again. He reluctantly moved to stand beside her. He slid a pale mahogany arm around her thin waist. She looked up at him and then at us. "Sorry," she said, smiling slightly. "We're just not accustomed to being around…" She cleared her throat slightly, her eyes cutting to Jacob.

He took a sip of soda to hide his smile.

"What are you, exactly?" Ajay asked Jacob.

"A werewolf," he said. "I can explode into a massive wolf at will. Want to see?" He set his soda can down and began to rise.

Both moved away from us, Ajay shifting in front of Rebecca.

He chuckled and sat back down. "Joking."

I punched his arm with a considerable amount of force and shot him a warning glare. "Do forgive _him_," I said. "He thinks he's being funny, but he's not." I glared at him.

Ajay spoke again after a tense moment of silence. "So you are a Child of the Moon?"

"Nope," he said. "We're a little different. According to Edward, we're technically shape-shifters."

"So do you know if Emily has any idea what she wants to bring?" I asked quickly, changing the subject. "Because we're ready to start loading."

"I'm not sure," Rebecca said, her voice still slightly stiff.

Emily, Rob, Tara and Ian walked in then, as though on cue. Their presence eased the rigidity in the room immediately. "Hey," Emily beamed at them. I was shocked to see Ajay hug her and Tara with a welcoming smile and then shake Rob and Ian's hands. So it was just _us _he was afraid of. Well, that was probably to be expected, and it probably wouldn't get better if Jacob kept freaking them out with his little jokes.

"All right, let's get to work," Ian said. "Jacob, why don't we start in the games room?"

"No," Tara and I said immediately.

"Oh, come on," Jacob said. "Please?"

The look on his face melted me before I had time to brace myself. I sighed. "Okay, fine, fine."

Ian looked at Tara again.

She sighed and looked at me. "You're letting me down, Nessie."

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly.

"It's the puppy-face," Rob said, chuckling at his own joke.

"Robin Stanton, did you just make a joke?" Ian teased. "A real, live joke?"

Emily, Tara and I rolled our eyes. "I'll start in the library," Tara said.

"Can I help?" I asked eagerly.

"Sure."

"I'll be packing clothes," Emily said.

"I'll help you," Rebecca said.

I followed Tara through the massive house to her equally massive library, which was located just beyond their mini-theatre. "So, where do we start?" I asked. It was an absolutely magnificent room, complete with a second level that wound around the upper half of the room and was just as loaded with books as the lower level. The shelves and floor were made from high-gloss oak, and the walls were painted a complementary red colour. "You know, I really didn't think there was on the planet that liked books as much as I did."

She smiled and made her way up to the second level, several boxes in each arm.

"How did you get into reading?" I asked.

Once we reached the upper level, she set the box down and started pulling books off the shelves. "Well, when Emily and I left our father, she had to work to support us, so I was alone a lot, but she would always bring me books. It wasn't long before I realized that they were a wonderful way to forget what was happening in reality."

I looked at her sympathetically. "I can't imagine that."

She looked at me. "I truly hope you never try to." She placed a few more books in the box and then continued. "At any rate, all I really had as a child were my books. And ice skates, of course."

"Of course." I smiled. "So how old were you when you left?" I asked, arranging the books.

"Two," she said. "Em was fifty-five so it was harder on her."

"Hello, kids," Emily said. "What're you talking about?"

"1950," Tara replied.

"Ah," Emily said after a brief pause, fighting to keep her voice even. "And uh…what got you onto that lovely topic?"

"I was asking Tara how she got into reading," I said apologetically. I felt terrible now. I should have known better than to bring up anything relating to their past. It was a major taboo with them, and it almost always made them miserable when they talked about it. _Idiot_, I berated myself.

"I see," Emily said. "Reading's what really turned her into an introvert. She was very different as a child."

"Really? How so?" I asked, looking from one sister to the other.

Emily nodded with a chuckle. "The trick used to be getting her to shut up."

I looked at Tara for confirmation. She merely rolled her eyes.

"She used to be a little terror," Emily said, messing her sister's hair as she knelt to get books off of the lower shelves. "But she's turned out all right."

Tara straightened her hair and then glanced at me. "You're very lucky that you haven't got any older siblings, Nessie."

"Oh," Emily smiled. "My little sister, being all surly. That's adorable, T."

I smiled awkwardly, unsure of what else to do. "So uh…what should I do, then?"

She pulled a list out of the pocket of her designer dark wash jeans. "Just start with these." She looked back at her sister. "You're immensely irritating, you realize?"

Emily smiled endearingly. "Have fun. I'm going to find Rebecca."

She sighed irately after Emily left.

I chuckled. "You think you've got it bad. I have nine people all over me all the time."

"Oh, I would beg to differ. Rob, Ian and Em are probably the rough equivalent to nine people."

I smiled and went back to shelving. "Your family's not so bad, though."

"No, I suppose not," she conceded.

After several moments of moderately awkward silence, I held up Romeo & Juliet. "Oh, I love this one."

She glanced at the title and shrugged. "Emily wanted me to bring that, actually. I really don't care for it."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. I'd hardly ever met anyone that didn't like Romeo & Juliet. Well, with the exception of my father. "I love it. It's such an interesting story."

"I think Romeo's a bit of a sod, personally."

"What! Why?" I'd inherited Mom's love of Romeo & Juliet very soon after learning how to read.

"Well, he claims to be so ardently in love with Rosaline, and then the moment he lays eyes on Juliet, his supposed love just dissolves? What sort of stability does that really provide her in the relationship? How is she not to know that the moment he lays eyes on someone else, his supposed love for her won't just dissolve?"

I blinked.

"I mean, he just casts her casually aside as though she were yesterday's newspaper. What does that really say about him? He's obviously very unreliable, and too young to even fully understand what he wants." She looked at me then, and then frowned lightly, perplexed by my expression. Her eyes widened in realization, and she began to back-pedal instantly. "Of course, I'm sure it's not like that for everyone."

I gave a wheezy laugh. "Yeah."

"Nessie, I hadn't meant to imply–"

"No, no," I said quickly. "No," I said, unable to think of anything else to say.

We retrieved the rest of her books in perfect silence. When I finished, I cleared my throat and said, "I'll go see if there's anything else I can do."

"Okay," she said simply, looking as though she wanted to say more.

I swallowed and descended the stairs to the main floor.

"Nessie, I really hadn't meant to–" she called after me.

"No, no," I said again and left the room quickly. "It's fine." I stopped once I got to the hallway, frozen to the spot. My head was spinning. I stood there for a long time. Finally, I swallowed and lifted my head to see Ajay standing on the other end of the hall, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Black?" he inquired politely.

I chewed the name over mentally for a moment and then nodded. "I'm…I'm sure."

His puzzlement deepened. "I'm sorry?"

"Uh, I mean, I'm okay."

He nodded, evidently unconvinced. "Well, please do not hesitate to let Rebecca and I know if there is anything that you should require."

"Sure. Thanks."

He nodded and returned to the kitchen.

_I'm sure_, I told myself. _I've been sure all my life._ I nodded, and traced the sound of laughter to Emily and Rob's bedroom. I propped the door open slightly. I took a moment to reset my mood and opened the door.

Both looked at me. "Oh, hi, Nessie," Emily said. "Are you and Tara finished in the library?"

"Yeah," I said. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"Could you check on Ian and Jacob for me? I'm sure they're not on task, and I'm sure they could use some refocusing."

I swallowed when she spoke Jacob's name. "I'll do that."

"Great. Thanks again for helping us."

I made my way downstairs. I noticed randomly that my limbs felt heavy, as though they'd been injected with lead. There was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. _Oh stop it_, I commanded myself. _What she said means nothing. She was just talking about a story, that's all. You've got nothing to be fixating on._

Ian and Jacob's voices drifted up the stairs. "No!" Ian screeched. "No, no, no! _Hey_! I spared you last round! You owe me one!"

"Do not!" Jacob laughed back. "That's wolf power yet again, my cold-blooded friend."

"I am not cold-blooded," Ian shot back. "I don't actually have blood."

Jacob laughed. "Whatever you say, blood-sucker."

I found them sitting adjacent each other on a couch in the den, leaned intently towards an obscenely-large flat screen TV. They were playing some sort of combat video game. I knocked on the door.

Both dropped the controllers quickly and whirled around. Jacob sighed in relief when he saw me. "Oh. I thought it was Emily."

Ian laughed. "Me too."

I tried to smile. "Well, she sent me to tell you to get back to work."

Jacob sighed. "We should."

"I'll go help Rob with the cars before Em comes down here herself," Ian said. He flashed past me on his way to the garage.

Jacob slid his arms around me. "So what've you been up to?"

"I was helping Tara with her library," I replied, my voice strangely monotone.

He chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear with a fond gaze. "You would." He glanced in the direction in which Ian had disappeared. "Well, I'm going to go help them out." He kissed me quickly. "I love you, Ness."

I forced a small smile as he left the room in search of Rob and Ian. "Sure," I murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Moving day dawned early. Jacob and I were roused just before dawn by the sound of a tentative knock on our bedroom door. "Jacob? Nessie?" my mother called to us.

I awoke across Jacob's chest and sighed as I saw that it was not yet seven o'clock. "Mom, this is just wrong. It's still dark out!"

"Bella, this is lame. Go away," Jacob moaned.

"Sorry," she said. "But it's an eight-hour drive. The truck and the cars are already packed and your breakfast is ready. We're just waiting on you."

I sighed heavily. "We'll be out in a minute." We got dressed and then went upstairs, complaining loudly all the way.

"Good morning!" Emily said brightly as we passed the living room.

Jacob and I glared at her.

She flinched. "Whoa. Okay. So you both woke up on the wrong side of the bed, did you?"

"It's positively indecent for someone who sleeps to be this perky in the morning," I growled.

"It just confirms that there's something critically wrong with you," Jacob added.

She ignored our griping. "It's a godly miracle called espresso, my friends. Espresso is the answer to all of life's problems." She beamed with sickening brilliance. "Now come on. Your breakfast is getting cold."

We shuffled into the kitchen, which was oddly empty.

"Everyone's outside," she said, answering my question before I phrased it. "We've been playing football."

We ate breakfast slowly, just to irritate her, and then washed our dishes. She flitted outside to pack them, leaving us to stew.

"Moving bites," Jacob murmured, massaging his temples.

I laid my head against his shoulder and exhaled. I forced myself to keep my mind from wandering as it had been so fond of doing lately and focused on the present. "We don't even get to sleep on the way." Each of us had to bring a car in order to get them all there, with the exception of Dad, who was driving the moving truck, and Uncle Jasper and Emily, who were going straight to Seattle to pay a visit. I still had no idea how they'd talked Mom into letting that happen. We'd sold five cars in preparation for the move, and donated another to Rebecca and Ajay. Among them, to Jacob's horror, was our Aston Martin Vanquish. The Winters had a shocking amount of vehicles considering there were only four of them.

"Are you ready to go?" Uncle Emmett called from the front door.

Jacob and I exchanged glances. We shrugged resignedly and rose. He slid a warm arm around me. "Let's just get this done," he said. "Yeah, we're ready, Emmett."

By the time we got outside, our bed had already been loaded into the truck, and Aunt Alice stood at the base of the stairs with my coat, a set of keys and a travel mug in hand. "Hi," she said remorsefully. At least she realized that it was completely wrong to awaken someone at such an unholy time of day.

I took the coat from her and shrugged into it just as it began to drizzle. "Thank you," I said, taking the coffee mug next.

She held up the keys and then placed them in my palm. "You've been assigned to the Porsche. My treat." She smiled. She was sucking up. Good. She was going to need it to redeem herself for this.

"Thanks," I sighed, taking the keys. I took a sip from the coffee mug. I grimaced as it scorched my tongue and throat. I recognized the strong, distinctive taste of espresso; clearly Emily's doing.

"And," she said, pulling a final item out of her pocket. "This." It was my phone. "In case we need to coordinate."

"Got it."

She frowned slightly. "Are you feeling all right? You've been acting kind of off lately."

I shook my head. "I'm perfect. I'm great. Just really tired."

She pursed her lips. "Well, sorry again." She hugged me and patted Jacob's back.

I looked at Jacob and sighed. "See you when we stop."

"Yep." He kissed me, his lips lingering long enough to scatter my head. He chuckled as I stumbled towards the car and climbed in.

_How could you doubt that?_ I told myself as I climbed into the car. Truthfully, I'd been dreading this for days. I would be trapped alone with my thoughts for almost eight solid hours. I was afraid of the conclusions I might arrive at.

Uncle Jasper and Emily sped down the driveway in her new Bugatti as I started the ignition. Rob pulled out next in Uncle Emmett's Lamborghini. I followed him out of the driveway onto the highway. I slipped a CD into the player and turned up the volume until couldn't hear my own thoughts. I'd probably be deaf by the time we reached our new home, but that was a price I could live with.

* * *

It wasn't quite eleven when we reached Forks. Mom and Dad stopped to see Grandpa Charlie, while Jacob and I were going on to La Push. Everyone else would be going directly to the house.

We stopped just in front of Sam and Emily's house. I parked in the driveway behind Sam's dilapidated Ford. Aunt Alice's Porsche looked utterly ridiculous behind it. Jacob parked Dad's Volvo by the curb. He opened my door for me before I had a chance to get out. He glanced at the CD player. "You had the music kind of loud."

"I need something to keep me awake," I said, impressed with the convincingness of my own lie. I was careful to shunt those thoughts aside as I reached out to take his hand.

We walked to Sam's door and knocked on it. It was answered a moment later by a very pregnant Emily. They already had a one year old, whom they'd named after Jake. She beamed as she caught sight of us. "Hey! Sam, look who's here!" She hugged me awkwardly, and then Jacob. "I didn't know you were going to be in town," she smiled.

"We thought we'd make a stop on our way to Ocean Shores," he said.

"Ocean Shores?"

"We're moving," he explained.

"Again?"

He shrugged.

Sam appeared then. He nodded with a light smile. "Jacob," he said, holding out a hand.

Jacob shook it.

"What're you doing here?"

"We thought we'd grace you with our presence," Jacob said.

"They're moving to Ocean Shores today," Emily said, filling him in.

He nodded. "'You seen the pack yet?"

"Not yet."

"Well, there're some things we need to discuss." He shot me a purposeful look.

Emily and I both took the hint. "Would you like some tea?" she offered.

"Sure," I said. I touched Jacob's arm and smiled before going inside. I sat down at the kitchen table as Emily put the kettle on. "Where's baby Jake?" I asked.

"Sleeping," she said. She smirked slightly. "We'll see how long that lasts." She looked at me. "So how've you been?"

"I'm good," I said, smiling.

She gave me a disbelieving look.

"How about you?" I asked her, wanting to get the conversation off of me as quickly as possible.

We hadn't been talking long when Jake began to cry from another room. Emily arose to tend to him. I took the opportunity to eavesdrop. I could hear Jacob and Sam's low, urgent voices coming from the living room.

"So what's the plan?" Jacob was asking.

"We're doubling patrols. It'll be good to have you back in the area."

"Any idea who it might be?"

My curiosity was immediately ignited. If they were doubling patrols, than whatever was going on was serious. Whoever it was and whatever they were doing, it was bad.

"I was hoping you might know that."

There was silence for a moment. "I'm going to have to tell them about this."

"I understand."

"Carlisle might have some suggestions."

"I hope so. For now, just keep an eye on things."

"I will," he said. I heard them rise, and quickly returned to my tea. I swirled the tea bag around the mug, watching the trail of finely-ground herbs that drifted in its wake as I tried to look inconspicuous.

Jacob appeared in the doorway. "Ready to go? Where's Emily?"

"She's with Jake," I said. I downed the tea quickly and then set the mug on the counter. "Can you tell her thanks for the tea?" I asked Sam.

He nodded. "Good to see you," he said.

"You too."

Jacob and I stopped by Billy's, and then the Clearwaters'. Fortuitously, Quil and Embry were already there. Jeff was as well. He'd decided to come a few days earlier than us, and had moved in just up the road. He hadn't fancied living any closer to Ian than was necessary.

The visit with the pack was shorter than the one to Sam's. I sat by the beach, watching the restless sea as the white-capped waves pitched and rolled. They pounded evenly against the rugged cliffs like thunder. I gazed at the endless grey horizon and speculated about what sort of intruder would prompt this sort of response from Sam. But there was no need to. I already knew. The only sort of threat that would merit this sort of response was a vampire. Aunt Alice would have seen something if it was related to the Volturi, so at least we didn't need to worry about that. The odds were that it was just a nomad passing through the area. I nodded, comforted by that conclusion. Nomads weren't uncommon along the west coast. The nearly limitless supply of cloud cover made it an ideal range for immortals of the sparkly variety.

The wind blew Jacob's woodsy scent intermingled with those of the pack to me before I even saw them. I sighted them through the trees after a moment and rose to meet them. Leah looked distinctly unhappy to see me, but she knew by know that my presence was inevitable. Jacob and I were a two-for-one deal.

"We've got to take off," Jacob said. "We've still got to get to the house," he told them.

"We'll swing by tomorrow," Leah said without acknowledging my presence.

After we'd say goodbye, we went back to our cars and finished the trek to Ocean Shores. My ears were ringing by the time we got there. The house was located on the fringes of the northern end of town, and surrounded by a wall of trees, just like most of our houses. It was just as I'd expected. It was massive, of course, but only three stories high this time, with our trademark large windows.

"Nice," Jacob nodded approvingly as we walked towards the front door.

I smiled. "We just never do things half way, do we?"

"Apparently not," he said.

"There you are," Grandma Esme said as we entered the house. "Come on, let me show you around."

The interior was much like our house in Vancouver in the design and decorating, aside from the boxes and various objects strewn about. The tour concluded with Jacob's and my room. It was the only one located on the third floor; I highly doubted that that was coincidental. I noticed that various elements of our suite in Vancouver had been transferred to the room here. I recognized a mirror, a lamp and, of course, my books.

"You're going to have to start university a little late," Grandma Esme said. "Your first day is the day after tomorrow, so we'll have everything ready by then."

"This is great, Grandma," I told her.

"Really," Jacob added sincerely.

"Thank you," she said. She went back downstairs looking very pleased with herself.

Unpacking had finished by twilight, leaving only the monumental task of arranging everything. Jacob and I decided to abandon our share until tomorrow and spent the majority of the day sleeping.

"So where is the university, exactly?" I asked at dinner that night. Although Jake, Tara and I were the only ones actually eating, the rest of the family (sans Uncle Jasper and Emily, who were not expect back until late that night) had crowded around the kitchen table as well.

"Emily and I can take you," Rob offered. "We were there in '82."

"For what?"

"Astrophysics."

"Geeks," Uncle Emmett coughed.

Rob smiled.

"That'd be great," Jacob said. "So long as we can take the Rolls-Royce."

Rob's smile widened. "Jacob?"

"Yes?"

"I like the way you think."

Emily and Uncle Jasper returned just as Jacob and I were about to go to our rooms.

"Hey," Emily smiled as she caught sight of us on the staircase. "So, do you love it?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling wearily as I looked around the house. "It's fantastic. You guys did a good job."

She beamed with delight.

"So, how was the trip?"

She and Uncle Jasper exchanged wicked smirks.

"You know, on second thought, I don't want to know. Good night." I retreated to my room with the sound of their laughter echoing behind me.

* * *

"Good morning, starshine!" Emily said with disgusting cheer. "The earth says hello!"

Jacob and I awoke with a start and then groaned. "Emily! Get out!" Jacob growled.

"Cheer up, mutt! It's a beautiful day. Well, for a vampire, anyway."

"You have _got_ to stop doing crack first thing in the morning," Jacob mumbled.

"Hardy-har," she said sarcastically. "Now get up. Alice and I have a lovely morning planned for all of you, and you are not going to ruin it with your grumping. So arise and _carpe diem_." She paused, taking in our expressions. "Well you could at least fake a smile, people. And before you even ask, yes, your attendance is mandatory."

We groaned. "We should have definitely moved out," I told Jacob.

Emily laughed. "As if that would stop me."

I feared that she was right.

"Let's tick her off and go down in our pyjamas," Jacob suggested once she had left the room.

"Amen," I said.

Jacob and I were the first to arrive. Aunt Alice and Emily had set up a whiteboard at the front of the room and were placing yellow legal pads and pens on each of the couches and chairs. They both looked up at us when we entered. After staring at us for several long, awkward seconds, they exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. Jacob and I ignored them and dropped onto the couch.

I dug a legal pad out from underneath me and frowned as I noticed that the top read, "Jason Jenks, Attorney at Law", and then listed his contact information. "How?" I asked, looking at Emily.

She gave a sinister laugh. "Jazz and I...convinced him, shall we say, to give us a few perks."

"What did you do the poor man?"

She merely smiled.

Once everyone had arrived, Aunt Alice spoke. "Now then, we have summoned you on this fine morning to go over our back story."

I stifled a groan.

"So," Aunt Alice said. "We'll start with Carlisle."

By the time they'd finished their rather lengthy lecture, a rather interesting story had unfolded. Grandpa Carlisle, Rob and Uncle Jasper were pretending to be brothers (although I wasn't entirely sure how well that idea was going to work out, what with Rob's barely-tamed animosity towards Uncle Jasper). Emily, Tara, Aunt Alice and Uncle Emmett were pretending to be the adopted children of Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme. Ian would be playing Aunt Alice's long-lost brother, supposedly separated from her when they'd been put into the adoption system. Aunt Rose and Dad were playing siblings who were our family friends. I was to be a cousin of Mom's, and Jacob was playing Mom's friend.

When they had finished, Jacob sighed. "Can we go back to bed now?"

"Please?" I begged.

Uncle Emmett's suggestive chuckle was enough to send heat rushing to my face. I shot him a black glare and followed Jacob back up the stairs. We collapsed on the bed and were both asleep within seconds.

After what felt like no more than thirty seconds later, we were roused yet again by a knock on our bedroom door.

I looked at Jacob, who made no attempt to move. I got up with a sigh and paused by the mirror. I tried to smooth my ruffled curls and then answered the door. "What?" I asked.

"The pack's here."

I sighed and glanced over my shoulder at Jacob, who was hiding beneath the covers, trying to block his ears. "Jacob. Jacob!"

"What?" he moaned.

"Pack's here."

"Heyya, guys!" Quil said brightly, appearing out of no where.

I flinched. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" I asked him darkly.

He glanced at his watch. "Uh…two-thirty?"

I blinked. "Oh. Jacob!"

He heaved a sigh and then got up, muttering something beneath his breath about 'stupid insomniac vampires'. "Quil," he said.

"We're all outside."

"Great," Jacob said sarcastically.

I stood aside to let him pass and then tried to go back to bed.

"Not a chance," Jacob said over his shoulder. "If I have to be up, so do you."

I reluctantly followed him downstairs. The pack was standing in the front yard with most of my family. Jeff had followed them in Sue Clearwater's dilapidated Chevrolet, to Ian's dismay.

"Will you relax?" Jacob muttered to him as Ian twitched unhappily. "He likes Leah now."

"I'll be fine, so long as Romeo there keeps his eyes in his stupid, empty head," Ian scowled.

There it was again, like a sucker-punch to the stomach. I swallowed and lowered my eyes. I thought I caught Tara cast me a swift glance at the mention of Shakespeare's greatest tragic hero, but I couldn't be sure. She'd been very cautious around me lately, not that I understood why. I didn't hold what she'd said against her, as I'd frequently pointed out to her, but she simply avoided the subject altogether now.

_Stop_, I told myself. _You are being utterly ridiculous. You have no reason to think like this._ Yet as I watched Jacob with his pack, I was discomforted by a feeling of insecurity. Maybe things _had_ gone too fast. Like Tara had said, maybe we _were_ too young to really know what we wanted.

_Stop this_, I commanded myself. _Get your head in the present._

"Hi there, Loch Ness!" Seth flashed me a wide grin.

I smiled. Seth's tireless enthusiasm and warmth always made me feel better. "Hey, Seth. How was the trip?"

"Pretty good. A lot nicer than the one to Vancouver."

I smiled again. "I'll bet."

"Eh kid!" Jacob called. "Come on! We've got to talk."

Seth sighed and looked at me. "Duty calls. See you in a bit."

As I watched them leave, I realized that, strangely enough, I had forgotten to ask Jacob what he and Sam had been discussing yesterday. What was stranger still was that Jacob hadn't told me voluntarily. He was usually fairly open about what was going on with the pack.

"Well," said Dad as the five walked off. "How about another baseball game?"

Aunt Alice shook her head. "There'll be no thunderstorm until next week."

"Football?" Uncle Emmett suggested.

"American football?" Emily said sceptically.

"What's the matter, Doc?" Uncle Emmett taunted. "Afraid of being beaten?"

"Hardly," she said. "Besides I've got to catch up on some reading. There have been a shocking number of advancements since I last went to medical school."

"Which was when?"

"1987."

"Wait, you're treating real living people and you haven't been to medical school for twenty-seven years?" Jeff asked, speaking for the first time.

We all looked at him. "Our minds don't work the same way yours does," Emily explained. "We rarely ever forget what we learn."

Jeff fell silent.

"Well, that sounds good to me," Rob said. He looked at Ian. "Brother?"

"I'm in."

My parents, aunts, uncles and the Winters (with the exception of Emily) all wandered over to the forest encircling the house, leaving only Jeff and me. We stood in awkward silence for a moment. I finally managed to murmur, "Hi."

He dug his hands into the pockets of his black leather coat and edged back slightly as I took a step towards him. "Hi," he said attempting a casual tone.

I followed his gaze to the receding figures of my family. "We still freak the heck out of you, don't we," I remarked.

He cleared his throat. "No. It's um…it's cool," he said, lying very poorly.

"It's okay, you know," I told him. "To be freaked out by all of this. We all know it's not normal. You're not offending anybody."

"You think it's normal, don't you?" he said quietly.

I considered how to answer him for a moment. "It's my norm, but I know it's not normal."

"But doesn't it bug you?" he asked imploringly. "That you'll never be normal, I mean."

I shrugged. "I've never known what normal is. You can't miss what you've never had."

"But you were changed, weren't you?"

I shook my head. "I'm only half-vampire. I was born this way." I looked at my family again as they shrank into the horizon. I felt a surge of affection. "And really," I said. "I don't think I'd have it any other way."

Awkward silence found us once again. It reigned for several long moments before Jeff spoke again. "I still don't understand all of this."

I frowned lightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Leah's tried to explain it to me, but…I don't understand all of this imprinting stuff." He looked at me.

I dropped my gaze and kicked at an uneven patch in the asphalt. "Yeah, it's kind of a lot to take in," I said, unsure of what else to say.

"Do you get it?" he asked hopefully.

I didn't answer him.

* * *

Author's Note: For those of you who were confused by "Adelaide", we apologize. We've recently been editing Day Break, and Emily was renamed Adelaide. We've been writing Equinox using her new name, and we forgot to change it before posting the chapter.

We apologize for the confusion!  
-Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jacob and I started university the following day, and, fortuitously, Ian's class was our very first. As we sat in the sizeable lecture hall, Jacob had the look of a child on Christmas morning. He was practically bouncing in his seat. "Nessie, can you believe this?" he laughed. "Ian's going to try to _teach_!"

"Yes, Jacob," I chuckled, patting his hand. "I know." I looked around the classroom and took in the other faces. Most were clearly fresh out of high school, and half of them looked petrified. I was deeply displeased to notice several of the surrounding women shooting Jacob admiring glances.

It was a fairly plain classroom, devoid of any real decoration. At the front of the classroom was a handsome young man with pale brown skin and piercing dark eyes seated on a stool. _Probably the teacher's assistant_, I realized. A strange feeling passed over me as his eyes met mine for a moment, and then moved on.

I blinked and looked at him again. I gasped softly. "You have to be kidding me…" I murmured.

"What?" Jacob asked, managing to calm himself briefly.

"Look at the guy at the front," I murmured.

Jacob glanced at him and then did a double-take. "Holy _crap_," he murmured, all traces of humour vanishing from his face instantly. "Is that a…?"

I nodded. "A vampire." I inhaled deeply, wondering why I hadn't caught the scent earlier, but it was almost indiscernible amidst all of the human smells.

He rolled his eyes. "Are we being stalked or something? Seriously, every single time we go somewhere, someone's already beaten us there."

"Do you think Ian knows?" I whispered.

As if on cue, Ian arrived then. "Good morning," he said as the metal door swung shut behind him with a slightly ominous clank. "And welcome to American History 101. As you already know – and if you don't then this is definitely the wrong class for you – I am your new professor, Dr. Ian McMaster. Now take notes here, newbies. The 'doctor' part is important. I like to be reminded that I'm smart. Also, I like my last name, so please use it responsibly, so no Dr. M or Dr. Mac nonsense, but if you do so desire, you can call me Master."

There were several nervous chuckles.

"And this," he said, setting his bag on the desk and turning to look at the vampire seated at the front of the class. He froze in mid-step and stared at him. He recovered after a few seconds. "Uh…this is my assistant…" he glanced at the paper in his hands for a reference. "Mr. Karan Rai. I don't know about his name preferences, but if you get it wrong, he'll probably tell you."

A female student raised her hand.

"A question already. Great," Ian smiled. "Yes, miss?"

"How old are you, Dr. McMaster?" she asked.

Jacob gagged.

He chuckled. "I am twenty-four years old and very married, miss. Very married." He winked at her and gestured to his ring.

I chuckled. I'd have to tell Tara about this.

As Ian began the lesson, I found myself unable to stop staring at the TA. He was very still as he sat the front of the room. He kept his gaze divided between Ian and Jacob and me. Jacob sat rigidly in his chair, his body leaned towards mine slightly, although I doubted that he even realized he was doing it.

When the lesson ended, Jacob and I made our way to the front of the class to speak to Ian. He was packing his bag, maintaining a cautious distance between himself and Karan.

"Hey," Jacob said in a guarded tone.

Ian looked at us. "How did you like the lesson?"

"It was good," Jacob said. "Do you think we could uh…talk?" he said, shooting a quick glance at Karan.

"At home," Ian said with a purposeful look. "I have another class to prepare for."

"Sure," Jacob said. "See you later."

Ian nodded and left the room, Jacob and I close behind him. We made our way out to the campus. Once we were out of earshot of the nearest humans, I spun around to face him. "Okay, time to come clean. What's going on with the packs? What were you and Sam talking about the other day?"

Jacob looked at me for a moment and hesitated.

"Come on, Jake," I said firmly. I was irritated that he would keep it from me for this long as it was. "You know I'll pry it out of you anyway, and if you don't tell me, I'll just go to my father. What is this about? I know there's a vampire nearby, but I know there's more to it than that. What aren't you telling me?"

He sighed and sat down, resting his back against the trunk of a tree. He gestured for me to sit down beside him. I paused, and then acquiesced.

"Like you said, there's a vamp around here, and I'm thinking that it was probably our friend Karan. Anyway, he's been hanging around the area for about a month and it's got Sam on edge. He wants him gone. If he's not out of here by the end of the week, Sam's planning on hunting him down."

"But if he's teaching then he can't be that much of a threat," I pointed out. "He's got to have some capability for restraint."

"Yeah, but this is just too weird, Nessie. What are the odds that a vamp TA shows up in our university, in our class, just as we're arriving, with Ian teaching the class, no less? You can't tell me that that's not weird."

"Sure, it's weird," I conceded. "But what were the odds of us meeting the Winters?" I countered. "What were the odds of another vegetarian vampire clan attending the same school as us?"

"That was rare," he agreed. "But things like that never happen twice, which is why this is weird," he said. "That was a fluke. But this? This just seems way too strange to be an accident."

"How would you explain it, then?" I asked him coolly.

He was clearly surprised by my tone, but refrained from commenting. "I don't know, but it's definitely not normal."

"What is?" I asked rhetorically. I watched the students milling about the campus, arms laden with laptops, binders and books. I envied the carefree air with which they carried themselves. They had hope; it was a new semester, and a new opportunity for many of them. I wondered what this year would be for us.

"Should we call Carlisie?" Jacob asked.

"What's Grandpa Carlisle going to do?" I snapped.

He frowned. "Nessie, what's wrong?"

I looked away.

"Come on," he said softly, touching my hand. I pulled it away. "Talk to me. Since when do we–"

"Since when do we what, Jacob?" I hissed. "Since when do we keep secrets from each other? That's a very good question. Why didn't you tell me what you knew? Do you no longer trust me?"

He stared at me in surprise. "No! Of course not! You know I trust you! Nessie, seriously, what's this about? There's no way that you're _this_ upset over something like this. It's not a big deal!"

"_Not a big deal_? Trust is not a big deal to you?" I stood up quickly and walked away, slinging my bag across my shoulder.

"Nessie, come on!" he called. "Wait!"

I stared at the ground furiously. I slammed into something hard suddenly. I looked up to see Karan watching us with his unreadable black-eyed gaze. "Oh," I said. "Sorry."

Jacob appeared beside me and pulled me away from him, a low growl starting in his throat.

Karan paid him no attention and looked at me instead. "I apologize, Mrs. Black," he said in a fluid, slightly accented voice.

I blinked. How did he know my name?

"If you will excuse me." He stepped around me and walked away.

I stared after him for a moment. As he shrank father into the distance, I became aware of Jacob's hands on my arms. I yanked myself out of his grasp and stormed away. He made no attempt to stop me this time.

* * *

The drive home was long, and exacerbated by the cold, stony silence that hung between us. The sky darkened as we drove, promising a storm. It matched my mood perfectly.

I made my way to the library when we got home. I sighed and collapsed into one of the white leather armchairs facing the fireplace.

"Are you okay?"

I muffled a scream, startled by Emily's voice.

She grimaced as she appeared from behind one of the towering bookshelves. "Sorry."

I exhaled. "It's okay."

"So…what's wrong?"

I crossed my arms defensively. "What would make you think that something's wrong?"

"Well, the scowl on your face was a bit of an indicator."

I rearranged my expression into one of neutrality. "I'm fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You could have fooled me." She sat down across from me. "Talk," she prodded.

I gave up on pretending. I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed again. "I _hate_ fighting with him. How do you and Rob do it all the time?" As the words left my mouth, I realized how bad it sounded.

She looked mildly offended. "Gee. Thanks, Ness."

"I didn't mean it like that."

She chuckled. "Sure you didn't."

We both glanced up as the door opened. Dad came in, and then paused in the doorway when he saw us. "Oh," he said apologetically. "I suppose I can come back later."

"No, no," Emily said. "Come in, Edward. It's fine."

"Are you certain? My business isn't pressing."

"Yes, of course."

"I'll be as swift as possible," he assured us.

I sat back, waiting for him to leave. Emily, however, seemed to take little notice. "Trust me, after a few years, fighting will be as natural for you and Jacob as–"

"Please!" Dad said in a horrified voice from somewhere behind the books. "Don't."

Emily grinned. "Sorry."

He snatched his book and retreated quickly.

"You did that on purpose," I accused her, blushing wildly.

She smiled. "Did not," she said unconvincingly. "Anyway, what was the argument about?"

I explained the predicament to her and watched her process my words. When I finished, she was frowning. "What?" I asked.

"That's the problem."

"Yes."

"That's it?"

"That's not enough?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well, yes, it's irritating, I agree, but is that really all that's troubling you? You're usually not so…emotional in your reactions."

I cursed her acuity and she regarded me with her ice-blue eyes. "Yes," I lied, realizing even as I said it that the attempt was futile.

Her gaze hardened into a glare. "I find it very offensive when people who know about my gift try to lie to me."

"Sorry," I murmured. "Reflex."

"Well if you think you get away with it when you lie to the others, let me assure you, that's not the case." She studied me. "So what's really bothering you?"

I pursed my lips and debated whether or not to tell her. In the end, I decided against it. "It's complicated, and I'd rather not get into it. No offence."

"None taken."

I cleared my throat. "So how's work?"

"It's great," she said. "Thank you for asking. I'm enjoying it very much."

"How's Rob handling all of the blood stuff?"

"With difficulty, but he hides it well."

I nodded.

Presently, the front door opened on the main floor. "Carlisle?" Ian called, his voice strained. The memory of this morning's events rushed back instantly. An uneasy feeling gnawed at my stomach. Jacob was right; this was far too strange to be coincidental.

Emily stood quickly, her brow furrowed. She hurried out of the room and down the stairs. I followed close behind her. "Ian?" she said concernedly, pausing on the stairs to look at him. His face was pale, even for a vampire, and he looked more afraid than I'd ever seen him. She flashed down the remaining stairs and hugged him. "Are you all right?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"I'm okay, sis," he assured her. "Do you know where Carlisle is?"

Grandma Esme joined us. Her expression was slightly wary. "He's still at the hospital."

"What about Rob?"

"He's at the hospital as well. Ian, is everything all right?"

Ian looked at me. The uneasiness in my stomach grew a thousand times worse. "Can we sit down?" he requested.

Emily nodded. "Of course. Everyone, get down here!" she called, and then guided us into the living room. I sat down across from Ian as we waited for everyone else to arrive. Once Tara and my aunts were seated, I inquired about Uncle Emmett.

"He's out buying groceries," Grandma Esme told us. "Please, tell us what happened."

Ian took a breath. "My teacher's assistant, his name is Karan Rai." He looked at each of our faces to see if anyone recognized the name. When no one reacted, he continued. "He's a vampire."

There were gasps all around the room accompanied by murmurs of confusion.

"A vampire? At the university where you're teaching, in the class you're teaching, no less?" Aunt Alice said suspiciously.

"That's what Jacob said," I commented.

They all looked at me. "You knew about this?" Grandma Esme said.

I nodded. "I have Ian's class first thing in the morning."

"I wish that were all," Ian said. "I'm almost certain that he's not the only vampire in this area."

"How do you know that?" Aunt Rose asked, frowning.

"Because he's a newborn."

"So? His creator could have moved on," Aunt Alice pointed out.

"No, Alice. He is _very_ new. He can't be more than a month old. There is no way that such a young vampire could curb his thirst enough to work in a university full of humans of his own volition. Trust me, I remember." He shuddered slightly. "No, there's someone that's taming him, someone _here_."

A fearful silence crept over us. One additional vampire was risky enough, but two…

Uncle Emmett stood with a broad grin. "All right. Let's roll. Ian, how do you want to do this? Should we call the others or just claim the glory for ourselves?"

"No," Aunt Rose said. "There has to be another way to approach this."

Uncle Emmett looked at her in amazement. "Can we leave the pacifism to Carlisle, please?"

"No, she's right," Grandma Esme agreed. "We don't know enough yet. Running into this blindly would be the most perilous course of action and this point, and the last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves."

"I don't understand what you mean," Uncle Emmett frowned.

"There could be more than two," Aunt Rose suggested. "They could be part of a coven."

"Surely I would have seen that," Aunt Alice said, but her voice was uncertain. The vulnerable look in her eyes made me uncomfortable. I hated to see my little aunt doubt herself, particularly since her visions were so vital to us.

"I don't know what this means for us," Ian said gravely. "But Esme's right, we can't draw attention to our family, not again. We managed to scrape by last time, but chancing the Volturi's patience twice would be most unwise."

Tara frowned and rubbed his back soothingly. "This could still be all right," she said. "This doesn't necessarily mean that Rai and his creator mean us any ill will. They could just be fascinated by the Cullens, like Cael and the others."

"It's possible," Emily nodded. "But you can't tell me that you don't find it just a little suspicious that they would choose _this_ way to come into contact with us?"

I sighed and massaged my temples. It seemed like every time we got over one crisis, our lives would almost immediately become complicated again.

"I suppose all that we can really do at the moment is to be extra vigilant," Ian said. "As long as we keep an eye on things, we'll have time to react. But I think that, for the present, at least, we should continue in our routines and see how things develop."

And develop they did.

* * *

News of a grisly murder was all over the headlines of the local newspapers the following day. A body had been found just two kilometres outside of Seattle. I refused to allow myself to think that it could be connected to the other vampires in the area. The thought was far too daunting to entertain. The rest of my family avoided the subject as well. No one wanted to believe that our peaceful interlude from vampire affairs could be over so soon. Everyone became edgy, including Jacob and me, which did nothing to improve the state of our relationship.

"Been talking to Sam lately?" I asked coolly over dinner one evening.

Jacob did not reply. He sat at the end of the table, his expression broody. His dinner plate was untouched, despite the fact that we had been served almost half an hour earlier.

Giving up on a response, I rolled my eyes and returned to eating. I noticed Emily shift awkwardly as I bated him, although I didn't see why it should bother her. She and Rob were always fighting, and it was almost always over matters more trivial than trust. "So, Emily," I said, my voice still frosty. "How is work going?"

She swallowed and shot me an uncertain glance. "Um…it's….great, Renesmee. Thank you." She rose abruptly and picked up her plate, cutlery, and her glass of wine. "You know, I think I'm going to go find Alice and Jasper. I've got to ask them something."

"You know, I will too," Tara said, collecting her things quickly and following her sister.

The tension between Jacob and I seemed to reach a climax when we were alone. I tried to ignore it as I finished my meal, but it made me more and more irritated the longer that it stretched on. When I could take it no longer, I slammed my fork down on the table. "That is _it_!" I exclaimed. "What is the matter with you, Jacob? What is with this constant silent treatment? You can't _deign_ yourself to talk to me?"

The TV in the adjacent room turned off almost automatically and I heard the room's occupants fleeing the vicinity.

Jacob glared at me. "I could say the same thing about you, now couldn't I?"

I jumped to my feet. "You want to accuse _me_ of not talking to you? As I recall, it seems to me that you were the first one to start keeping secrets, so don't you dare start implying that I'm the problem here!"

He rose as well, his eyes blazing. "Yeah, _I'm_ the problem! You were way out of line the other day! You had no reason to get that upset over something as little as me not sharing what Sam told me in a _private_ conversation!"

"Not telling me just proves that you don't trust me, and you expect me to be okay with that?" I demanded.

"You are beyond reasoning with!" he said exasperatedly. "It's not the end of the world! Why do you have to make a crisis out of everything?"

"_I am not the one making a crisis_!" I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room. I returned to our room and slammed the door behind me, the room shuddering with the force I'd exerted. A framed photograph of Jacob and me on our wedding day fell over on the desk. I glowered at it, and then threw myself down on our bed. Tears of anger and sadness stung my eyes. I _hated_ fighting. Growing up, there had been very few times at which Jacob and I had fought; I had assumed it would be the same once we were married. I gave a hard laugh at my own naïveté.

The door to my room opened and then closed softly once the entrant was inside. I didn't have to turn to know that it was my mother. She sat down on the edge of my bed and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked.

I wiped away the few stray tears that had escaped my eyes and sniffed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She chuckled.

I pushed myself up and wrapped my arms around my knees. "I didn't know how hard this was going to be when we got married, Mom."

She half-smiled sympathetically and stroked my face. "I don't think anyone ever does. So don't give up. There's nothing wrong with you two because you fight. Fights can even be good for a relationship. But you need to choose your battles carefully." She gave me a knowing look.

"Dad?" I guessed.

She pursed her lips. "He was concerned."

I rolled my eyes.

"The fact that he didn't tell you doesn't mean that he doesn't trust you," she told me. "But you have to be prepared to accept that there are just some things that are between Jacob and the pack."

I gazed at her in disbelief. "I can't believe you are taking his side!"

"I'm not," she said quickly. "But I think you should just consider carefully which things you choose to fight about and which things you choose to let go." She rose, correctly sensing that I was not in the mood to discuss this further. "Just something to consider," she said defensively, and then left.

I sighed heavily. I knew she was right and I hated that fact. I owed Jacob an apology, but that was not a prospect that I relished for my ego. _Oh grow up_, I told myself harshly. _Just go apologize._

I rose unwillingly and made my way downstairs. I passed the living room and paused in the doorway. My parents and grandparents were congregated in the room, discussing something quietly. Before I could say anything, my father pointed outside.

I nodded. "Thanks." I opened the front door. I found Jacob sitting on the front steps. He did not turn at the sound of my approach. I pursed my lips and hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should come back later and wait a while before trying to bring this up. _No_, I decided. _Just say what needs to be said_.

I sat down beside Jacob and exhaled quietly. "Jake…I shouldn't have been so unreasonable. I'm sorry. I _was_ out of line. There are some things that are between you and the pack, and I can respect that."

He gave a humourless chuckle. "That wasn't the problem, Nessie. I've never kept anything from you, not even about pack stuff. _I_ don't have a problem sharing what's going on," he said, looking at me purposefully. For a moment, I was sure that he'd found out about what Tara had said to me. I shifted uncomfortably and waited for him to continue. "Nessie, I hope that you trust me the way I trust you. I hope you would tell me if you think I screwed up. I can't read minds like your dad. You kind of have to tell me if I've done something that you don't like."

I came very close to admitting my struggle to him for a moment, and then thought better of it. "The only thing I didn't like was not being included in what happened during your conversation with Sam."

"And I'm sorry for excluding you. I didn't know it was that important to you."

I shifted to face him. "Jake," I said, taking his hand. "_You_ are important to me. You are the _most_ important thing to me. And the pack is important to you, ergo, what happens in the pack is important to me."

He kissed me. "I'll remember that for the future."

"So what's the latest, then?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Has anything else happened?"

He shrugged. "Whoever it is has crossed the border a few more times."

"Sam can't get him?" I asked, surprised. "Or her?" I added after a moment.

"He's had some of the younger guys on patrol and they're not the best at…well, anything."

I half-smiled.

"He's trading some of them up and he wants our pack with 'em. He wants to make absolutely sure that none of them get through."

"'Them'?" I asked.

"There's at least three."

I grimaced.

"And uh…" He sighed and shuddered. "On a really unrelated note, apparently Paul's knocked up my sister." Paul's imprint was one of Jacob's older sisters, Rachel. They'd been married for four years already.

I covered my mouth. "_Really_?"

He shuddered again.

"Well," I smirked, elbowing him. "You're going to be an uncle."

"Please don't."

"Jacob Black is going to be Uncle Jacob."

"Nessie, for the sake of my sanity…"

"What sounds better, Uncle Jake or Uncle Jakey? Because personally, I think–"

"All right, all right," he said, smiling in spite of himself. "You're going to be Aunt Nessie too, you realize?"

"Yeah, but do you hear me complaining?"

He sighed again. "I always thought Rebecca was going to be the one to have kids first." Rebecca had already been married for almost a decade. She and her husband lived in Hawaii, which made visits few and far between.

"It was bound to happen eventually."

"Gee, I feel so much better."

I grinned. He returned my smile. We gazed at each other in silence for a moment. After a moment, I laid my head against his shoulder. He laced his fingers through mine and pressed his lips to the top of my head. "I like this whole not-fighting thing," he commented.

"Me too," I replied. _How much do you want to bet that if we turn around right now, they'll all be staring at us?_ I said using my gift. We exchanged glances, and then both looked back at the house. My parents, grandparents, aunts and foster-sisters all turned away quickly.

Jacob sighed. "Too freaking predictable."

"They just never stop, do they?" I said, although I wasn't the least bit surprised.

"Well, let's go back inside," Jacob said. "I still have to talk to Carlisle about what's been going on in La Push."

We rose and went inside to find everyone busily doing something, avoiding our gaze and pretending to be unaware of our presence.

"Oh give it up already," Jacob said. "You were all eavesdropping and we all know it. Now let's get right to the point, shall we?"

They all stopped pretending immediately. My grandparents shot me sheepish smiles, but the rest of them seemed utterly unrepentant. How typical.

Everyone moved to sit. I was about to call for my uncles, Rob and Ian when they suddenly appeared in the room.

"Oh," Jacob blinked. "Okay then. Let's move on. So, as we all know, we've got some weird stuff going on: Ian's freaky vamp TA, the murder…but it gets weirder."

"How so?" asked my grandfather.

"Well, there are vampires near La Push, too," Jacob said.

With the exception of my father, everyone froze, stunned. After a moment, Grandpa Carlisle recovered. "Could it all be the same two, perhaps?"

Jacob shook his head. "Sam's picked up the scents of at least three." After a long moment of tense silence, he added, "Judging by the smell, he thinks they're all pretty young."

"Oh no," Rob and Uncle Jasper murmured in unison and then exchanged grave glances. "Do you suppose…?" Rob began.

Uncle Jasper shook his head. "No. She would never venture so far north. She wouldn't dare, not with the amount of Volturi activity that this area had has over the past decade. Aro hasn't officially banned newborn armies as of yet, but she knows she's toeing the line. She always did."

Rob nodded. "You're right. But who else could it be, then?"

Neither seemed to have a suggestion.

"It may not be an army," Ian said. "It _is_ possible that this could all be coincidental, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's possible," Grandpa Carlisle conceded. "But it seems highly improbable."

"Carlisle's right," Emily agreed. "One or two newborns could be a coincidence, but not three, especially not given the other anomalies we've been experiencing lately."

There were mutterings of agreement.

"I know we agreed to simply be vigilant when we discussed this earlier," Tara said quietly. "But given this new information, I think a more…proactive, shall we say…response is required."

"What would you suggest?" Rob asked.

"Maybe we could seek them out instead of waiting for them to find us," she offered.

"What would we do once we've found them?" Grandpa Carlisle asked, a hesitant look in his eyes.

"What we have to," she said evenly.

"Hey!" Uncle Emmett said, a spark of excitement gleaming in his eyes. "There's an idea. Screw all of this craftiness, let's just have a war!"

"Amen," Jacob grinned.

Grandma Esme smiled at him, and then said gently, "But we don't want that sort of attention on us."

"So what do we do, then?" Aunt Rose asked.

For once, no one had an answer.

* * *

A quiet, uneasy week passed. Karan did not return to Ian's class, which made us all the more wary. Whoever he was and whatever he was doing here, it didn't seem good.

It was around dinner on Friday when Emily , Rob and Grandpa Carlisle returned from the hospital. Emily swept into the house ahead of them, brandishing a newspaper that was soggy with the day's rain. She slapped it down on the table at which Jacob, Ian and I were working. Tara, Mom, Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice, who were seated on the couch across the room, looked up as well.

I glanced at Emily expectantly, waiting for her to explain.

Ian picked the paper up gingerly and read the headline aloud. "_Seattle Slayer Strikes Again_. Oh how perverse. They've named him now?" he said disgustedly. "Have these people not a shred of shame?"

"What does it say?" asked Tara, laying her book aside and crossing the room to stand behind her mate.

"_Seattle's infamous Slayer seems to have picked up right where he left off in 2007, bringing the total body count up to 10. His latest casualty is 20-year-old Amanda Joshua-Wright, who, ironically, was the girlfriend of Jack Morriswell, who disappeared last month, along with 23-year-old Christian Whitehall. Stranger still, Whitehall's girlfriend of two years, Melody Gurnish, was found dead near Green River eleven days ago._" Ian looked at us. "It goes on to say that the FBI is sending a behavioural analysis team to investigate."

"Well this is a mess," Jacob said.

"A _huge_ mess," Mom added.

"And now they're sending the FBI," Rob said solemnly.

"Maybe we should move again?" Aunt Alice said.

"I think that would make us look even guiltier," Emily pointed out.

"But if we stay and they discover us…"Aunt Rose trailed off.

_It would be the end of everything_, I finished silently.

"Hold on, hold on," Jacob said. "This is all assuming that they're going to connect us to the murders somehow. We'll just stay below the radar. We'll be fine."

"Let's just hope it's that simple," Grandpa Carlisle said.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

By the month's end, Karan had returned to Ian's class, and three more were dead, two of which had been students at the University of Washington. There were advertisements played hourly requesting that anyone with information pertinent to the killings come forward. The FBI was even offering a cash reward for anyone who could aid their investigation. A sort of desperation had settled over our family as the direness of our situation began to truly sink in.

Jacob and I arrived early for class on the second of October. We were more than half an hour early, but the class was already moderately full.

"What should we do about Rai?" asked Jacob quietly. He cast a sidelong glance at our classmate sitting nearest us. His skin was a deep russet, darker even than Jacob's, with his long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He appeared to be just a little too interested in our conversation. Jacob switched to Quileute instead. "I could get the pack together," he suggested in the tongue of his people.

The effect on the eavesdropping student was instantaneous. His gaze snapped in Jacob's direction, intrigued. "You're Quileute?" he asked him in the same language.

I frowned in confusion.

Jacob glanced at me and then at him. "Yes. You too?"

He shook his head and switched back to English. "I'm from the Quinault tribe, but we've got Quileute blood." He extended a hand to Jacob. "I'm David Redwood."

"Jacob Black," he replied. "This is my wife, Renesmee."

He shook my hand and then glanced at Jacob. The question in his eyes was clear. My heritage wouldn't be hard to guess for anyone who'd heard the tales of the Cold Ones. Clearing his throat, he asked, "So do you live in La Push, then?"

"Not anymore."

"I heard La Push has a wolf problem."

"Well, I wouldn't say it's a _problem_."

David nodded with a smile, misinterpreting Jacob's response as tribal pride. "Gotcha."

Karan and Ian entered then. "So you know the prof, huh?" David asked.

I saw Jacob freeze up for a moment as he tried to remember what our relationship with Ian was according to the cover-story. I touched the back of his hand gently and reminded him using my gift. "He's uh…a family friend."

"And he's a…?"

Jacob looked at him, pretending not to know what he was talking about. "A what?"

"Never mind," David said, giving me another purposeful look and then turning away.

I pursed my lips and turned my attentions to the front of the room. I wasn't sure whether having someone else who knew about vampires was going to be helpful or add to the danger.

After class, we packed up our books and were about to leave when David called after us. "Hey, Black."

Jacob looked back.

"Watch out, huh?"

I was mildly offended by his implication, but recovered once I reminded myself that not everyone was as accustomed to being around vampires and partial vampires as Jacob was.

"Will do," he replied.

After our last class, Jacob and I went out for an early dinner at a local Greek restaurant called Palace of Olympia. Once we'd ordered, we immediately turned to discussing the day's events.

"So how insane is this?" Jacob said quietly. "A vampire TA, and now a kid who speaks Quileute."

I smiled. Despite his calm front, I knew he was excited to have met someone who shared his culture. "So remind me again why you're not the chief of the Quileute?"

"You know why."

"No, all you ever say is 'it's not my thing'."

"And that's not reason enough."

"Nope."

He chuckled. "Well, I don't live there, for one–"

"We could."

He looked at me sceptically. "Come on. You're really willing to pull up stakes and ship yourself off for the next few decades?"

"Why not? You did it for me," I pointed out.

He looked at me, touched. "You'd really do that?"

"Of course I would," I said, twining my fingers with his.

He smiled tenderly at me. "That's sweet of you, Nessie."

I smiled back.

"But I couldn't take you away from your family."

"Sure you could. I took you from yours."

"Well, I got a brand new one when you were born."

"I'm serious, Jake."

"So am I."

"Billy won't be around forever," I said softly.

He flinched, but did not look shocked. He'd clearly considered this as well. "Yeah, I know," he said.

"We should at least visit more often."

He nodded. "Charlie, too."

"Jake, when I married you, I considered the possibility that I might have to leave my family some day so that you could be with the pack. It's not going to change anything for me if you decide that that's where you need to be. I'll support you no matter what you decide or where you go. I'm one hundred percent with you all the way."

He kissed my hand. "Thank you." After a moment, he asked, "So you're completely serious about this?"

I nodded. "Completely."

He considered for a moment. "I _would _love to go back…"

"So let's do it."

He paused again. "But…your family."

"This is the twenty-first century, Jacob. I have ways to keep in contact with them. And besides, it's not like I'd never see them again. They're three hours away from La Push."

"No, I mean do you think they'd let you go?"

He had a point. "I can persuade them," I insisted.

He mulled it over for a moment and then said. "Okay. Let's move back to La Push."

I smiled again. "Great."

"But not right now. I want to get my degree. I feel like an idiot compared to everyone else. They've all got loads of degrees, and I'm just a high school drop out."

"Mom hasn't got a degree."

"But she's got a high school _diploma_, at least."

A flicker of guilt washed over me. I lowered my eyes.

"You were not the reason I didn't finish high school," Jacob said immediately.

"Sure, but I can't have helped matters."

He sighed and shook his head. "If only I could make you understand…"

"Understand what?"

"Imprinting."

I pulled my hand away before my thoughts could betray me, running my fingers through my hair to make the action look more subtle. _If only you could,_ I agreed mentally.

* * *

"So the Quinault know we're here," Dad mused as he sat with Jacob, me, Mom, Grandpa Carlisle and Rob in my grandfather's study that night. "I'm not entirely sure what to make of that." He looked at Grandpa Carlisle.

"We've no reason to suppose that they'll be unfriendly," he said from where he stood by the window, gazing out over the dark forest that surrounded us. "I don't foresee it being a problem."

"But if they do have Quileute blood, then is it possible that they could…" Rob began, and then trailed off, glancing at Jacob.

"Be werewolves?" Jacob asked. "Nah. It's only the descendants of a few of the Quileute that can do that."

Rob immediately looked relieved, which I found slightly offensive. "In that case, I agree with Carlisle. I don't see why this should be a problem."

I pressed my lips together. He must have caught my expression, because he hurriedly added, "That's not to imply that werewolves are a problem, but we know Jacob and Sam's pack and we know that they are willing to coexist with vampires in a peaceful fashion. If the Quinault were capable of transformation, they could be a potential threat."

"But they're not," I said coolly. "So we're fine."

"Yes," Rob agreed.

I ignored the disapproving glances that my parents shot me and looked at Grandpa Carlisle again. "So what will we do now?"

He paused for a moment. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned his head to meet my gaze. "We won't do anything. It's their move."

* * *

It was unanimously decided that we would take Saturday to rest and take a break from our near-constant plotting and strategizing. But Saturday morning arrived in a flood of sunlight – decidedly not vampire weather. Jake, Emily, Tara and I, however, were able to continue unhindered. We decided to go out for breakfast, ignoring the glares of my aunts, uncles and adopted family. They'd all had plans for today, plans which they had been forced to scrap the moment the sun rose.

"Have a good time," Rob said half-heartedly.

"Thank you," Emily said, kissing him. She looked at Aunt Alice, who was pouting dejectedly. She gave her a sympathetic smile and hugged her. "I'll bring you some Prada. Promise."

Aunt Alice brightened slightly.

Emily looked at Rob again and patted his arm and following us out the door. "He wanted to go shopping for car parts today. He and your dad want to by some 'antique' cars to fix up and sell, although I hardly consider anything from the '50's to be antique."

I nodded. "I see. To 'sell'."

"Exactly, eh?"

"Canadian," Jacob muttered.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Let's just go."

Jacob grinned again, delighted by her irritation.

"Jacob?" I said.

He looked at me.

I stopped him on the way to the garage and wrapped my arms around his neck with a sigh. "You can get away with a lot of things because you're hot–" He grinned at this. "–but you're angering our ride."

"We don't need her," he said. "We've both got cars."

"Have we both got _Rolls-Royces_?"

He pursed his lips. "Point taken."

I kissed him. "Thank you." Taking his hands, we walked to the garage. The Rolls-Royce was already running. I smiled as I noticed that they'd actually had to paint yellow parking lines on the asphalt to figure out where each car went.

We were barely out of the driveway when Jacob fell asleep. I wasn't surprised; he hadn't slept well for the past few days. He was restless at night. I knew he was worrying abut the new vampires in the area.

"So tell me more about half-breeds," I said to the sisters as we sped along the tree-lined highway. I was distracted for a moment by the beauty of the sunlight on the trees. It shone through the leaves, illuminating them with an emerald colour and creating a dappled pattern on the forest floor.

The sisters were silent for a moment while I marvelled. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the two exchanging glances. "What do you want to know?" Emily asked.

I thought for a moment. "Do you know of anything that can kill us?"

"No," Emily replied. "Not unless we're destroyed. Although venom could be quite damaging in high enough quantities."

I frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"Concentrated venom – the venom of full vampires, in other words – is like a toxin to us. When it gets into our bloodstream, it reacts very badly with our own."

"But we don't have venom," I frowned.

"Yes we do," Tara said. "But it's missing the component that causes a DNA transformation in humans. We still have no idea why."

Emily nodded in agreement. "It's entirely neutral to humans. But it's what gives us our immortality, our ability to regenerate, our powers and our superhuman physical abilities." She paused again to mutter a string of curses intermingled with foreign words as someone cut her off.

"Em," Tara said disapprovingly.

"Drivers used to be so much better," she growled. "Anyway, she said, turning to me once more. "I've observed that our venom levels also tend to fluctuate depending on how well-nourished we are."

"So you chose to function at a sub-par level?" I teased. "All of that food-eating?"

"Do you know why I eat food?" she asked softly.

I paused. "It's not just because it makes you seem more human?"

She shook her head. "I figure that I've taken more than enough lives in my life. The least I can do is attempt to make up for it now, even if they are animals. I can never undo what I've done, but I'd at least like to do feel like I'm doing _something_."

I pursed my lips and lowered my eyes. I realized that I'd taken my upbringing – as odd as it was – for granted. Yes, I was an oddity, but I had never been subjected to the sort of evil that Emily and Tara had been forced to endure and overcome.

We were silent for the remainder of the ride. We stopped at a restaurant downtown. The streets were teeming with Ocean Shore's denizens, basking in the glory of the sunshine. Emily parked along the side of the main street. After she stepped out to pay the parking toll, I shook Jacob awake and we went into a local diner. The four of us escorted ourselves to a booth and sat. After a moment of silence, Jacob said, "I feel like I'm missing something."

Emily, Tara and I looked at him. I smiled and patted his hand.

"Anyway," Emily said. "What're you reading at the moment?"

"_Pride and Prejudice_," I replied.

"Ah," Emily sighed. "Mr. Darcy. So dreamy."

"Does Rob know that you talk like that?" Jacob said.

She nodded. "We have an agreement. I can like Mr. Darcy as long as he's allowed to like Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?" I said. "But Jane's the beauty of the family."

"Yeah, but Elizabeth's the one with a backbone," Emily pointed out.

"Jane has a backbone," Tara argued. "She's just not a loud-mouth."

"Eh! Geeks!" Jacob interrupted. "Do you think we could talk about something we can _all_ discuss?"

"You've read _Pride and Prejudice_, haven't you?"

He shook his head.

"Surely you've seen a film adaptation?"

"No."

"Renesmee!" they exclaimed in unison. "How could you let this happen?" Tara demanded.

"He doesn't have to read it if he doesn't want to," I said. He gave me a grateful look.

"She has got you on a long leash," Emily commented.

"Yeah," Tara said, exchanging glances with her sister. "Well, I'll throw you a bone here. Have you read _Northanger Abbey_, at least?"

"Because I'm sure you could fetch it from a bookstore," Emily added.

"I'll walk you to one just as soon as you've finished wolfing down your meal," Tara put in.

"All right, all right, we can stop with the dog quips any time now." Jacob glared.

They snickered quietly in response.

I rolled my eyes, grateful for the interruption provided by the waitress as she came to take our orders. I was grateful when she returned with our meals quickly.

"So how exactly did you two become telepathic?" I asked as they chuckled over some inaudible joke.

"We're not sure, really," Tara said, picking the strawberries off of her sister's plate of French toast.

"Our age difference obviously rules out the idea of it being innate," Emily said, taking Tara's raspberries from her plate of chocolate chip pancakes in return.

"It happened while we were living on our own," Tara continued. "We were really all that we had, and we figured it has something to do with that."

"Doesn't it get annoying?"

Tara shrugged. "It's voluntary. I can shut her out when I need to."

"When _you_ need to?" Emily said. "I'm definitely the one that does most of the shutting."

"Sure you are," Tara said sarcastically.

I chuckled and took a sip of my orange juice. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Jacob staring covetously at my last waffle. "Just take it," I said.

"You're the best ever," Jacob beamed, kissing my cheek.

I smiled and savoured such a rare moment of peace. I realized then how much I'd missed the calm, blissful days of our honeymoon.

When breakfast ended, we decided to explore the town. We split up from Emily and Tara, who went to explore a bookshop while Jacob and I elected to walk down to the beach.

"The town is called Ocean Shores," he said. "We might as well go see some actual ocean shores."

I laughed. "Fair enough."

When we reached the beach, it was already fairly occupied. Children laughed and played in the surf, with their parents watching from the shade of their umbrellas on the shore. Along the beach, people stopped to dig for razor clams or sea shells and carefree couples strolled, enjoying the last of the summer weather.

I took of my shoes as soon as we hit the sand, dreading the lecture that I would get from Aunt Alice if anything happened to them. Jacob and I walked hand-in-hand along the very edge of the water, watching the humans. Jacob said, "Nessie, is there something going on? Something that you haven't told me about?"

I nonchalantly pulled my hand from his to shield my eyes against the sun as I looked up at him. "What would make you think that?" I asked warily.

"You've just been kind of…I don't know quite how to phrase it…not yourself."

I shrugged and looked away. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, that's what you keep saying," he said unhappily.

"Jacob, I'm fine," I said, looking at him seriously and praying that I wasn't as easy to see through as I felt.

He gave up and looked away, to my relief.

Suddenly, a particularly strong swell caught my ankles. I shrieked in surprise and slammed into Jacob in my attempt to flee the surprisingly cold water.

"Whoa!" he chuckled, catching me. The tenseness between us dissipated instantly.

"What happened there?"

"That water is _cold_," I complained. I instantly regretted mentioning it.

A wicked gleam sparked to life in Jacob's dark eyes. "Really? Well, I know the perfect way to make you forget about how cold your feet are."

"Jacob Black, don't you dare," I warned him sternly. Before I could stop him, he picked me up and tossed me into the water. I screamed as I hit the waves. They washed over my head, soaking me from head to toe.

When my head broke the waves, he was doubled-over with hysterical laughter. I glowered at him and whipped my shoes at him. "That was not _funny_."

He dodged them easily. "It was _so_ funny!" he contradicted in between peals of laughter.

I crossed my arms. "Well you could at least help me get out."

"Yeah, right," he chuckled. "And let you pull me in too? I'm not stupid."

My glare intensified.

He sighed. "Oh fine." He held a hand out to me.

I grasped his hand firmly to make sure that it wouldn't slip, and with a sharp yank and a devious smile, I pulled him in. I laughed as he fell in beside me. Once he'd brushed the saltwater from his eyes, he laughed with me. "You're too predictable," he said.

I smiled and moved into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. "You realize we're going to get murdered for this?" I said, gesturing to our soaking clothes.

He snorted. "As if I care."

I smiled again and kissed him. His lips were wet and salty with the ocean brine, but still pleasantly warm. When the kiss ended, I laid my head on his shoulder and buried my face against his neck. "I love you," I whispered.

He stroked my back. "I love you too."

I comforted myself in that knowledge and pushed my doubts and worries to the backburner. How could anything ever be truly wrong so long as I had my Jacob?

Despite the warmth of Jacob's embrace, my teeth began to chatter before long. Before I even spoke a word, Jacob picked me up and carried me out of the water. I clung to him, greedily absorbing the heat radiating from his body.

"We should probably buy towels," he said, kneeling to pick up my shoes.

"Definitely. The only thing scarier than Emily and Alice's faces when they see what we did to these clothes is the idea of Rob's face if he sees that we got water in his car." We both shuddered at that image.

He set me down once we were off of the beach and back on the road and took his wallet out of his pocket. He chuckled as he picked out a sodden twenty dollar bill. "Maybe we should use a credit card?"

* * *

By the following day, the clouds and rain had returned, to the delight of my family. They all left on their own errands, leaving the house to Jacob and me.

"Try not to break too much," Uncle Emmett chuckled as he and Aunt Rose left to go shopping for car parts with Rob and Dad.

"I'm not making any promises," Jacob called after him.

I blushed scarlet and hit his arm. Once everyone had left, I turned to my husband. "Well, we should probably do some homework."

"Yeah," he agreed. "We don't want to fall behind."

There was no homework done that day.

Jacob and I arrived to school early the following morning and made our way along one of the paths in the courtyard on our way to class. It was still somewhat dark out, and the light rain fell as a cold, constant mist. As we approached the main building, I caught a dark shape against the ground out of the corner of my eye. I turned slowly. I screamed in horror, the books dropping from my arms.

Jacob jumped. "What is–?" He stopped in midsentence as he followed the direction of my gaze.

Lying at the base of one of the many trees that lined the walkway was the cold, lifeless body of David Redwood.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

We spent the majority of the day in the police station, recounting the morning's events to various officers and officials. I was still numb with shock. The image of David's blank, unanimated stare seemed permanently burned into my retinas. A sick feeling had settled permanently into my stomach. I couldn't stop thinking about the solitary conversation that we'd had with him. He had seemed so nice! I couldn't grasp how something so terrible could happen to him, or why.

Jacob remained by my side throughout the ordeal. When we were finally permitted to return home, the entire family had crammed into the entryway, waiting for us to return. Grandma Esme got to us first. She pulled me into her arms the moment I stepped through the door. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm okay, Grandma," I said, hugging her back.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see that," Grandpa Carlisle said sincerely.

"S'okay," I mumbled.

"Did you recognize him?" he asked gently.

I nodded. "It was David Redwood, the Quinault we told you about."

"Are you certain?"

I nodded. I was more than certain. There was no way I'd ever be able to forget.

Mom got to me next. "You're sure that you're okay?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Mom," I said flatly. Talking was the last thing that I wanted to do. I'd spent the whole day talking about it. She backed off immediately.

"I think we should probably just go to bed," Jacob said quietly.

I immediately became aware of just how exhausted I was. I stumbled up the stairs and collapsed onto our bed without bothering to change. I curled up and rolled over to face away from Jacob.

"Ness?" he asked gently.

Tears welled in my eyes. "I've never seen a body before."

He sighed heavily. "I know. I'm so sorry that you had to today."

I swallowed and exhaled. "How does everyone handle death so calmly? It's so unfair." I shuddered and was grateful that that was one thing that I wouldn't have to worry about ever again. "What did David do to deserve that?"

Jacob made no reply.

"Did they tell you how he died?"

"The doctor said he died from…blood loss," Jacob said hesitantly.

I bolted upright and whirled around to look at him, my eyes wide in horror. "You mean a _vampire_ killed him?"

He nodded gravely.

A hand flew to my mouth. More tears flooded down my face.

Jacob wrapped an arm around me.

"It's just so barbaric," I whispered. "How could anyone ever do that?"

He had no answer for me.

He held me until I drifted off to sleep. My dreams were tortured that night. I saw David's death over and over again in my head, although his killer would change each time. Sometimes it was Aro, sometimes it was another member of the Volturi and sometimes it was Karan. But most frequently, it was a face that I knew I recognized, but I couldn't quite put a name to, although I knew that I had heard it many times. My nightmare always ended with his sightless gaze boring into me, and I would awaken with a startled shriek. Jacob patiently soothed me back to sleep each time, but by the time morning came, neither of us were in any shape to attempt to go to class.

We were wakened by the sound of the doorbell around noon. I heard someone go to answer it, and then there was a low, angry voice.

I disentangled myself from Jacob's arms and got dressed quickly. I made my way down the stairs, listening intently.

"…But I can assure you, it was certainly not someone from this house," Grandpa Carlisle was saying calmly. He stood in the doorway, speaking to a tall, angry-looking man with dark russet skin – skin the same colour as David's. Behind him was an equally tall, proud-looking woman. Half a dozen more stood on the lawn, watching us mistrustfully.

"Might I ask that we continue this discussion this inside?" Grandpa Carlisle implored.

"Why, so you can kill us, too?" he snarled in a deep, throaty voice. I was surprised by his tone. I'd hardly ever heard anyone speak to my grandfather that way. The man's eyes cut to me for a second, and then refocused them on Grandpa Carlisle.

"You give me the culprit or we will tell your little secret to the world," he threatened.

I froze on the steps. I noticed now that everyone was gathered in the living room, watching the door anxiously. My father saw me first and gestured for me to join them. I obeyed, curious as to what was going on.

"It's the chief of the Quinault tribe and his wife," Dad explained quietly. "They seem to have brought their elders, as well. They know what we are, and they think that one of us killed David Redwood."

"David was the chief's son," Mom added quietly. "His youngest son."

"I assure you, that's entirely unnecessary," Grandpa Carlisle said. There was a hint of strain to his placating tone. "We do not drink human blood. We drink only the blood of animals."

The woman hissed angrily. "You murder our son, and then you insult us with your lies! Give us one reason why we shouldn't go to the police right now."

I felt panic building steadily within me. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if they were as serious as they sounded. I looked at my parents. Their faces were creased with worry as they returned my gaze. _How could we convince them?_ I thought. I twisted my wedding band anxiously. As I looked at it, I realized that there was only one person that they would listen to.

"I'll get Jacob," I murmured.

Mom nodded. "Good idea."

I bolted back up the stairs and returned to our room. Jacob was still sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. "Jacob," I said, shaking him awake.

He opened his eyes reluctantly. "What's wrong, honey? 'Nother nightmare?" he asked blearily.

That was one way of putting it. "The Quinault are here," I said, panic creeping into my voice. "They think we killed David and they're threatening to expose us."

Jacob frowned and sat up quickly. He sprang off of the bed and made his way downstairs. The chief looked at us again as we made our way down the stairs. His eyes lingered on Jacob for a moment. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"I've got this, Carlisle," Jacob said, touching his shoulder. The Quinault's eyes widened when Jacob touched him.

Grandpa Carlisle nodded with relief. He stepped back. "This is Chief John Redwood and his wife, Anna."

"Who are you?" asked the chief.

"I'm Jacob Black of the Quileute nation," Jacob replied in Quileute.

The chief and his wife exchanged glances. "Black?" the chief said in the same language. "Are you a relation of Billy Black?"

"I'm his son. We – my wife and I," he said, gesturing to me. "Were the ones that found David."

Pain flashed through their eyes.

"I'm really very sorry for your loss," he said sincerely. "But like Carlisle said, it definitely wasn't anyone from this house. They're all into animal blood. They don't hunt humans."

"How is that possible?" demanded Chief Redwood.

Jacob shrugged. "Carlisle discovered it a few hundred years ago. Trust me, everyone here is an advocate for human life. They didn't do this."

"Then who did?" asked Anna in a choked voice.

"There're some other vampires in the area right now. My tribe is doing their best to take care of it. We'll find out who did this and…take care of it."

The chief looked at Jacob with respect. "You are a child of the wolves," he realized.

I looked at Jacob quickly. Was he supposed to know that?

Jacob did not seem alarmed. He merely smiled. "Nah, that's just an old story." He and Chief Redwood chuckled knowingly. After a moment, Jacob grew serious again. "We _will_ avenge your son's death, Chief Redwood," he said, switching back to English.

I looked at him proudly. I had never seen him look more like an Alpha than he did then.

Chief Redwood extended his hand to him. Jacob shook it. "Thank you, Jacob Black," he said. Anna shook his hand as well.

Jacob nodded his head. "We'll keep you updated."

"I appreciate that."

We watched the Quinault leave wordlessly. Jacob shut the door once they had gone and sighed.

"That was excellently done, Jacob," Grandpa Carlisle commended him.

"I agree," Dad said. "Well done, son."

"You rock, Jake." Mom smiled at him.

"Not bad, mutt," Uncle Emmett said, sauntering up alongside us and pounding him on the back. "Now let's go do something fun."

"Hear, hear!" Ian said as everyone began to move towards the living room.

Jacob and I hung back in the entryway for a moment. I looked at him and smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"And you said you'd make a crappy chief." I said. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, baby," he said, sliding his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Stop being sappy and get in here!" Uncle Emmett called after us.

Jacob sighed. "We definitely should have moved out."

"I know," I said, sighing.

"I have a joke," Rob said as we joined the family in the living room.

"Oh no," Jacob and Ian said in unison.

He ignored them. "So there are four ants in the race. The third ant moves into second place and then says there are three ants behind him. How is that possible?"

"Do tell," Aunt Alice said.

"He lied," Rob said.

Tara burst out laughing. Ian and Emily exchanged glances and then looked at him sadly.

"Oh Rob," Jacob sighed.

I shook my head.

"I'm not sure what's sadder," Ian said. "That you actually just said that," he said to Rob. "Or that you _laughed_," he said to Tara.

"It wasn't even a pity laugh," Emily said. "It was a full-out, actual laugh."

Rob made a face at her. "At least Tara supports me."

"Robin," Ian said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You're my brother and I love you, but you need joke therapy."

"I'll help with that," Uncle Emmett said.

"Me too," Jacob said.

"I call dibs on watching," Emily grinned.

I grimaced and mouthed an apology at Rob. He nodded appreciatively and accepted defeat as the three sat him down.

"What time is it?" Emily asked suddenly.

I consulted my watch. "Ten to one."

She gasped and jumped up quickly. "Crap! _Carlisle_!"

I frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Carlisle and I have shifts in ten minutes!" she said over her shoulder as she flashed up the stairs.

"Make sure you take something to eat!" Grandma Esme called to her.

I chuckled and turned on the TV as Emily and Grandpa Carlisle streaked out the door. My aunts sat down on either side of me and immediately began to debate over what to watch. They finally agreed on a news channel. As they flicked to it, the FBI's hourly warning came on. A shiver ran down my spine as the pre-recorded message featuring a serious-faced blonde woman representing the FBI played on the screen. The room became quiet immediately.

"The body count is somewhere in the thirties now," Dad said softly. "And if Ian's theory is correct and there _is_ a mature vampire behind this, then that's not even counting the bodies that they're not finding."

"Or the ones they're turning," Rob said.

"But who would do this?" Mom asked. "Especially in this area, so soon after Victoria and the newborns?"

"Someone who doesn't know," Tara suggested.

"We didn't know about it," Ian said.

"And of course we all know who saved the day there," Jacob said with a smirk.

Aunt Rose snorted. I chose not to respond.

* * *

Jacob and I decided to go to La Push shortly thereafter. We spent our afternoon cliff-diving and discussing the Quinault with the pack. After we said our goodbyes, Jacob and I walked back to his Aston Martin. "I'm going to come back here for a few days," he said as we pulled onto the highway.

I looked at him. "Why? And how long is 'a few days'?"

"No more than a week. Sam needs all the help he can get right now. Apparently Leah's giving him a bit of trouble, and they just found another scent trail."

"So?"

"So they found this one _in_ La Push."

I massaged my temples. "What the hell is this? What's this person – _people_, I guess – playing at?"

"I wish I knew."

"Don't they get that they're just putting themselves in danger, too?"

"I guess not."

I sighed irately. "This is starting to get on my nerves. We get one quiet year, _one_, after the Volturi fiasco, and now we're right back in the middle of things. It's only a matter of time before they involve themselves in this, and when they do, who do you think they're going to be looking at?"

"Ness," Jacob said softly.

I took a breath to calm myself. "Sorry."

He chuckled. "It's okay. It bugs me too, but we've got to stay calm."

I nodded and sighed again. "You're right."

"You know, you're very cute when you get stressed, hon," he said with a lopsided grin.

"Well, as long as _you_ enjoy it," I said sarcastically, but smiled in spite of myself.

When we got back, Grandpa Carlisle, Grandma Esme, Rob and Emily all sat at the kitchen table, their expressions anxious. Emily had her elbows planted on the table, her head in her hands. Rob was stroking her hair soothingly. All four looked at us as we stepped through the door.

"How was the funeral?" asked Grandma Esme.

"Depressing," Jacob said. "What's up?"

Rob and Grandma Esme both looked at Grandpa Carlisle. Emily didn't move. "Emily had a patient go missing today," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"Damn," Jacob muttered.

"She was an eighteen-year-old terminal cancer patient," Emily said wearily. "Her fiancé was one of the men who went missing last week. And she just happened to go missing during my shift." She sighed.

I frowned slightly. "I don't get it."

"We were late for work today," Grandpa Carlisle said softly. "So you can imagine how it looks."

I blanched.

"Oh no," Jacob murmured. "And when you consider what happened on Monday…"

Rob nodded, his eyes tight. "Exactly."

"It would appear that someone is setting us up," Grandma Esme remarked. "This can't just be coincidental."

"I agree," Rob said. "And that was clearly the intent of whoever is doing this. They have orchestrated these events to involve us beyond the point where it could reasonably be called coincidence."

"There's something about this that bothers me," Emily said.

Her mate looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She lifted her head. "I feel like there's a pattern to these abductions, something that we're not seeing. Something seems…familiar."

"How so?" asked Grandpa Carlisle.

She pursed her lips. "I don't know," she said unhappily. "I haven't worked it out yet."

"So that leaves us back at square one," Jacob said.

Grandpa Carlisle nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Who would do this to us, though?" I asked, frowning. "The Egyptians, maybe?"

Grandpa Carlisle shook his head immediately. "No. Amun was resentful of being dragged into the Volturi situation in the first place. He wouldn't create a problem which would involve them. He's supremely mistrustful of them. And I don't think he harbours any serious ill-will towards us."

"What about the shifty one?" Jacob asked. "Alistair, or something like that?"

"No," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Alistair may be unreliable, but he is genuine. I trust him."

"Is it possible that the Volturi are doing this?" Emily asked.

"I seriously doubt it," Grandpa Carlisle said. "They are very fond of their rules. I don't think you would ever find them breaking them."

Dad ran down the stairs and into the room suddenly. "Everyone upstairs!" he said. "Rob, Carlisle, I need to see you by the door." When no one moved and merely stared in shock, he forcefully added, "_Now_!"

"What's going on?" asked Grandma Esme, rising.

"I'll explain later. For now, please take Emily, Nessie and Jacob upstairs."

Grandma Esme obeyed without any further questions. "Come on," she said, gesturing to us.

I opened my mouth to protest, but reconsidered as I studied the look on my father's face.

We were halfway up the stairs when Jacob began to sneak back down. Aunt Rose appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Bad dog," she said, poking him in the chest. "Upstairs."

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Do _not_ touch me, you disgusting blonde parasite," Jacob snarled.

"Jacob," Rob said. "Please, just this once, do as she says?"

Jacob glowered at her for a moment and then turned on his heel and began to walk back up the stairs. "Hey Nessie," he said loudly. "What do you call a blonde on a university campus?"

Dad snickered at whatever the punch line was.

"I don't know, but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway," I said wearily.

"A visitor," Jacob finished.

Aunt Rose rolled her eyes.

Jacob paused and looked back down the stairs. "By the way, Rob," he said.

Rob looked at him.

"That was a _joke_."

It was Rob's turn to roll his eyes as his mate laughed hysterically.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Does anyone have any ideas about what the hell is going on?" asked Uncle Emmett. I smiled at his grumpy tone. He'd always hated being left out of important discussions.

"No," Uncle Jasper said.

"Why does Edward always get to have all of the fun?" Uncle Emmett whined.

"There, there," Emily said sarcastically, patting his muscled arm.

"Shut up!" Tara hissed, shooting a sharp green-eyed glance at the lot of us. "I'm trying to eavesdrop here!"

"Schemey," Uncle Emmett said with a nod of approval. "I like it."

We all crowded at the top of the stairs and listened intently. I could hear Dad murmuring quietly to Grandpa Carlisle and Rob. "…And if it comes to that–"

"But it may not," Grandpa Carlisle said quickly, placating my father.

"No, Edward's right," Rob murmured. "We have to consider our options in the event that we find ourselves facing a worst-case scenario."

Before they could say anymore, the doorbell rang. Its cheery chime echoed ominously throughout the entire house. I exchanged glances with Aunt Alice, Jacob and my uncles. I could hear my heart gradually accelerating as I waited anxiously for them to open the door. After a few seconds, the door opened with a rush of air. The scent of humans swept up the stairs almost immediately. My throat ached, reminding me of how much I was in need of a hunt. "I'm looking for Dr. Emily Cullen?"

We all turned to look at Emily. She closed her eyes and sighed. A knot formed in my stomach as a thousand possible outcomes played out in my head. All of them were bad. Extremely bad. We were now officially on their radar, and with their desperation to find the killer responsible for this string of murders, it wouldn't take them long to realize that our family had been involved with this case more than once.

"Who are you, may I ask?" Rob asked.

"Special Agent Xavier Matthews, FBI. This is Special Agent Alexis Addison."

I gasped quietly and grabbed Jacob's hand. Both of my uncles cursed softly.

"Is she home?" asked Agent Matthews.

"What is this in regard to?" Rob demanded.

"The disappearance of Carolyn Sandman from the hospital this morning. Is Dr. Cullen here?" he persisted.

Rob paused. "One moment please," he said stiffly. He ascended the stairs, his face carefully arranged into a passive expression. It vanished when he caught sight of his mate. "Wait," he said quietly as he gained the landing. "I can say I was mistaken and that you're not here."

"There's no use," she told him. "They'll just come back later. No, I'll talk to them."

"What if they arrest you?"

"We'll post bail," Uncle Emmett grinned.

We all glared at him.

"Well _someone_ needs to think about this practically," he said defensively.

"They have no grounds for an apprehension," Ian said. "And they have no warrant. They can't arrest you based solely on coincidence, and I'll sue them if they try."

"And you'll _win_," Emily smiled. She looked back at Rob. "See? I'll be fine."

I hoped that was true.

He frowned, but followed her back down the stairs without another word.

"I'm Dr. Cullen," she proclaimed.

"Dr. Cullen, where were you this morning at approximately eleven-fifty?" asked Agent Matthews.

"I was on my way to work."

"Is there anyone that can consolidate that?"

"I can," Grandpa Carlisle said. "As can anyone else here."

"And where are they?"

"Elsewhere," Rob said coolly.

I grimaced. "We should've kept Rob upstairs," I realized.

"Just slightly," Mom said.

"Jazz?" Uncle Emmett said. "Maybe you could lend a hand?"

"I'll try, but he's amazingly resistant," Uncle Jasper said. "And he won't appreciate my interfering." Calm settled over the room seconds later. I felt the tension in my shoulders release. As was expected, Rob gave Uncle Jasper a moderate glare seconds later. "I told you," he muttered, relinquishing the cloud of serenity.

We all listened carefully as the agent questioned her. Ian would nod every so often as she gave an answer. "She's doing well," he whispered.

"Do you think they consider her a suspect?" I asked.

"I doubt that they would have come all the way down here from Seattle if they didn't have some compelling reason to think that she's involved," he said.

The uneasiness in my stomach worsened. Whoever was setting us up was doing a _very_ good job.

After another string of questions, Agent Matthews concluded the interrogation. "Well, thank you, Dr. Cullen. That's all. For now."

"Happy to be of service," she said. She shut the door after a moment.

I was the first down the stairs. Emily was still staring at the door. Ian followed me.

"Hey," he said soothingly, hugging her. "You did a very good job."

She made no reply.

"Are you okay, little sis?"

She hit him lightly. "It's big sister to you, kid," she retorted.

Ian grinned. "She's okay," he said to everyone else.

The rest of us filed down the stairs. I could feel that the blood had drained out of my face.

"What do we do now?" asked Aunt Alice quietly.

Emily raked her fingers through her hair. "I think all of you should leave for a while."

"What?" Aunt Rose said, phrasing my thoughts exactly. "What's the logic in that?"

"You don't need to be pulled down with me if something were to…happen."

"Absolutely fricking not," said Jacob.

We all looked at him.

He sighed and made his way down the last few steps. "Do you still not get it, Emily? The point of a _family_ is that they figure things out together, even the hard things. You can't run all of the time. We're not going anywhere. If one goes down, we all go down."

"Amen," said Uncle Emmett. "And no more stupid heroics." He shot a pointed look at her, and then at me. I blushed and lowered my eyes. I was never going to live that down.

"Do you recall the last time you attempted to use this sort of 'logic' as a remedy?" Tara glared.

"Yes," Ian said. "It's not a solution, Emily. It merely adds to the problem. I think we all appreciate your dedication to keeping us alive, but having you risking your own life is not the answer. We must find a way to solve this so that we all get out of this together."

"So there," Tara said, prodding her forcefully.

Emily chuckled. "Message received."

"All of that goes for you, too," Dad said, looking at me sternly.

"Besides," said Aunt Alice said to Emily. "You just got off with a slap last time. I'll have to do much worse if you do something so outlandishly stupid again."

Emily smiled at her. "Thank you, Alice."

"For what?"

"For caring enough to slap me across the face with ridiculous force."

I laughed as they embraced and looked at Jacob again. He was already looking at me, and gestured for me to follow him. There was something in his handsome face that made me certain that I wasn't going to like whatever it was that he had to say.

I navigated my way through the crowd at the base of the stairs and climbed the stairs to the third floor. He was waiting for me in the hallway when I arrived. "What is it?" I asked.

He looked at me apologetically. "I think I should probably go back to La Push now. I might as well. We're running out of time fast here, so the sooner we catch these freaks, the sooner things can go back to normal."

"Okay," I nodded. "I'll go with you."

"No," he said gently. "One of us needs to get an education."

I gazed at him unhappily. "So this is goodbye, then?"

"Just for a week."

That was still too long for my liking. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face against his chest, drinking in his warmth and his intoxicating musky scent. "I hate this."

"Me too."

"No, I mean I _really_ hate this."

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Me too."

"Promise me you'll come back."

"Of course I will," he said, stroking my back. "You're stuck with me forever, kid."

"Promise me that you'll come back to me in one _piece_."

"You're underestimating me, Ness."

"Sorry," I said. "I don't mean to."

"It's not your fault. You're Edward and Bella's kid. It's in your blood. On both sides."

"That is very true."

He laughed and hugged me tighter. I closed my eyes and wished that I could stay in his arms forever. But, all too soon, he released me. "I'll call you lots. Promise," he said.

I didn't meet his eyes. This reminded me all too much of the time that I'd sent him away. Of course, the circumstances of his departure would be much different this time, but I knew that the feeling that his absence left would be the same.

Jacob cupped my chin in his hand and lifting my face so that our eyes met. "There's not a vampire on this planet that's going to keep me away from you for long."

"I know," I said. And I did, but that didn't make the separation any easier.

He kissed me gently. Warmth rushed through my body at the touch of his lips. For a moment, the craziness of our world faded into the background and all that there was that mattered was he and I. But like all other good things, it ended far too soon. I helped him pack, and then watched him drive away, a familiar hollow feeling taking form in the centre of my chest.

_No_, I thought. _You're not going to wallow. You know he'll be fine. Just go on with business as usual. Yes, he's in insane amounts of danger right now, but he knows how to handle it. He's going to be fine. If he's proven anything, he's proven that he knows how to take care of himself. So snap out of it, Nessie. He can hold his own._

"Hey," Mom said, touching my back. "Want to go for a hunt?"

"Yes," I said. A hunt would be a perfect distraction. I felt a swell of affection for my mother. "Is Dad coming?"

"Nah. Let's just spend some girl-time."

I smiled. "Okay."

The two of us took off running towards the northwest. We skirted the last of the seasonal homes and then turned southward towards the state park.

"So," Mom said as we crossed the border into the park. "How're you doing with having Jake gone again?"

I shrugged. "I'm adjusting myself to the reality. He knows what he's doing. He can take care of himself. I'm not worried." Much.

She looked at me with surprise. "That's very mature of you. I certainly never had that kind of maturity when it came to Jake's safety, or your dad's for that matter."

I smiled. "I know, Mom. You've told me."

"Right," she said, nodding.

"How're _you_ doing with having your newly-wedded daughter and best friend back under your roof?"

We both smiled. "It's been different," she said. "Challenging at times, but it makes me realize just how crazy your dad and I must have driven everyone else when we were newly-married."

"Okay, Mom, I don't want to know," I said quickly before any unwanted images could lodge in my head.

She chuckled.

We ran on in silence for a few moments. "Mom, when you and Jacob were together, did you ever think he'd move on?" I asked.

"Well, Jake and I were never technically together."

"You know what I mean."

I felt the weight of her suspicious gaze on me, but I didn't turn my head. "Why would you ask me that?" she inquired.

"I'm curious."

"Yes, I know, but why would you ask about that specifically?"

"It's just a question, Mom."

"Is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I was just asking."

"Is something–?"

"Ugh, stop reading into things! It was a harmless question!" I said exasperatedly. It was bad enough that Jacob suspected something. I didn't need Mom on my case, too.

"Okay, okay!" She sighed. "Well, yes, I did. For his sake, I hoped he'd find someone that wasn't so hopelessly in love with both him and someone else. But I was still selfish enough to want him to myself all at the same time. The summer before you were born was a very confusing time for me."

"Do you ever wish things had turned out differently?"

She pondered that for a moment. "I'm glad that things concluded the way they did, but I wish that there could've been a less painful way to arrive here. I'm not proud of the way I made him and your dad suffer. I put them both through a lot."

"But you were in love with Jacob," I stated.

"Yes."

"And you still wanted him to move on?"

"For his own sake, yes. Besides, I knew that a catch like him wouldn't be single forever. My biggest worry was getting over my jealousy when he did eventually find someone. But then he imprinted on you, so everything worked out perfectly in the end."

Ah, imprinting. It all came down to that. "How much do you know about imprinting?"

She gave me another suspicious look. "Not much more than you do."

I decided to stop there. I didn't want to make her any more suspicious than I already had, and I certainly didn't want her telling Jake any of this, or Dad. We remained more or less silent for the remainder of the hunt. After bringing down two deer each, we returned home. When we arrived, the Winters were just leaving.

"Where're you headed?" Mom called.

"The ocean," Emily called back.

I blinked and looked at my mother, who looked equally mystified. "Why?" I asked.

"Well, I decided to call in some of our European friends. One of the ones that you met at Nessie's wedding, Dahlia, is a tracker, and she might be able to help us with all of this. She's bringing two of our other friends along."

"But that doesn't explain the ocean," I pointed out.

"Well, see, Austin and Henry are flying here, but Dahlia…" Rob said.

"Dahlia's unique," said Ian. "She's not particularly trustful of modern innovations, like airplanes, so she's swimming here."

"We're picking up the others from the airport next week," Tara said. "Cael and Tanya are coming down from Alaska, too."

"They have phones?" I asked, frowning. I'd never heard of a nomad with a phone.

"Well, they stay in our homes every so often. They went back to our house in Dublin after your wedding."

"Do you just loan your houses to everyone?" asked Mom.

"Pretty much," Rob said.

"How many do you have, exactly?"

They all looked at Emily. "Yes, Emily," Ian said. "Do tell Bella and Nessie how many homes we have."

She gave him a withering look. "Let's just say I don't just shop for clothes," she said. "Now let's go. We don't want to be late picking Dahlia up. Goodness only knows what she'd do."

They all winced and hurried to the garage.

Mom and I chuckled. "She was a bit special, wasn't she?" I commented, recalling the sullen, reclusive Italian vampire from my wedding.

"Yeah. And remember how weird she was about Carlisle?" She'd been particularly cold towards Grandpa Carlisle, as she'd associated him with the Volturi.

"That was a little bizarre," I agreed. "Well, she's staying under his roof now. I wonder how she'll take that."

The Winters returned with Dahlia almost an hour later. Her clothes – which I could tell instantly that Emily had brought for her – were dry, but her hair was still sodden. She hung back behind the Winters slightly, her vibrant red eyes sweeping the living room distrustfully.

"Cullens, this is our friend, Dahlia," Rob said. "Dahlia, you remember the Cullens."

She looked around again and nodded. "_E 'bello vedervi tutti di nuovo_," she said in Italian.

Emily rolled her eyes and sighed quietly. "She says that it's nice to see you all again."

I frowned, her reaction confusing me. What was wrong with what she'd said? I looked at Dad for an explanation. He was smiling slightly. He leaned closer and whispered, "She's pretending that she doesn't speak English. Apparently that's what she does when she's around people she doesn't trust. Or like."

Grandpa Carlisle smiled congenially. "_E 'bello vedere anche voi._"

Dahlia stiffened and shrank back. She glanced sharply at Rob. "_Tenere la spia lotano da me_," she spat.

He looked at Grandpa Carlisle quickly, horrified.

I nudged Dad for a translation. He was gazing at her with a raised eyebrow. A few of my family members were trying not to chuckle. "She just called Carlisle a spy," he confided. "And she told Rob to keep him away from her."

My jaw dropped. Grandpa Carlisle? A _spy_? Was she completely delusional?

"Well, we'll show her where she's staying," Rob said. He glowered at Dahlia and gestured for her to follow him as he left the room, Emily bringing up the rear.

"Well that was…embarrassing," Ian sighed, sinking into a chair by the window. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. She's not usually so rude."

"It's quite all right, Ian," Grandpa Carlisle chuckled.

"What exactly is her problem with Carlisle, anyway?" asked Aunt Alice. "Aside from the fact that she thinks he's with the Volturi?"

"Well it's not Carlisle, not really, anyway," Ian said. "She's very old; she's over twenty-six hundred. She's seen much of the world. She's seen how destructive the Volturi can be. She had a mate once, a gladiator named Dacian that she turned. During the war with the Romanians, the Volturi killed him. She's passionately despised them and anyone even remotely connected with them ever since."

"She's a loyal supporter of the Romanians to this day," Tara added. "But it's because of your tie to the Volturi that she's so leery around you, Carlisle."

"Ah," he said. "Yes, I can understand that."

"Nonetheless, I thought she'd be better behaved than _that_," Tara said, frowning.

As had I. She was a guest in his house, for heaven's sake.

"So where are your other friends?" I asked, wondering why they hadn't had the rest of them come as well.

"Well, Adair's a bit of a card," Ian said. "He's quite a charmer, and he generally attracts attention, which is what we don't want to do in this situation. Julianna…well…"

"Do we really have to talk about her?" Emily said darkly as she and Rob returned. I saw Rob wince.

"Why?" I inquired with surprise. I hadn't noticed any open animosity between them at the wedding. But as I thought about it, I couldn't seem to remember them coming within twenty feet of each other, either.

"Julianna is Rob's ex," Ian chuckled.

My eyes widened. Everyone turned to look at Rob, who was glaring at Ian.

"You have an _ex_?" Uncle Emmett gaped.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing about her?" Aunt Alice demanded, nudging Emily.

"It was a long time ago," Rob said dismissively.

"Exactly how long were you together?" Grandma Esme asked, openly grinning.

"Fifteen years, wasn't it, dear?" Emily said coldly.

Rob sighed.

"I'm trying to picture this," Uncle Emmett said. "Rob, of all people, has an ex-wife." He whistled.

"We were never married," he said quickly. "She's more of an ex-girlfriend, and I would love to leave that subject right there."

"Oh, but that wouldn't be any fun," Ian grinned. "Tell everyone how she found out about Emily!"

"I prefer the story of how she became enamoured with you, actually," Rob shot back.

Ian's expression soured.

"I noticed that," I said. She'd seemed quite preoccupied with Ian at the wedding.

"Yes," Tara said unhappily. "I don't think there was anyone that didn't."

"How did you break up?" Mom asked with an amused smile.

"She didn't want to come to North America with Ian and me; she wanted to stay in Europe, so we parted ways amicably and can we _please_ leave it at that?" But of course, it was not left at that. After half an hour of merciless teasing, Rob finally retreated to the garage to escape our inexhaustible barrage of questions.

I decided to go to bed shortly thereafter. I wanted to be in good shape for class tomorrow. I tried to convince myself that sleeping without Jacob would be just like every night I'd spent before we'd gotten married, but it was different. It was lonely. It had been over a year since I'd slept alone. I pressed Jacob's pillow to my chest and buried my face in it, inhaling his scent deeply. I realized that he hadn't called yet. _He's probably busy_, I told myself. _Just stop worrying about him already._

But with an unknown number of vampires in the area that seemed to have our destruction on their minds, that was going to be far easier said than done.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

I managed to make the week pass quickly by burying myself in schoolwork, which wasn't difficult, as Ian had proved himself to be a very demanding professor. After my classes had finished, Ian drove me back to the house. The family was buzzing as we prepared for the arrival of the rest of the Winter's friends.

After Ian dropped me off, he left for the airport with Rob, Tara and Emily. I went inside to see how I could help with the final preparations.

I was barely through the door when Aunt Rose found me. "There you are," she said. "Jacob's on the phone for you."

I was impressed by the lack of malice in her voice when she spoke his name. "Okay. Thanks." I picked up a phone in the kitchen. "Hey, Jake."

"_Hey_," Jacob's voice greeted me. "_How was your day_?"

"Good. Long."

"_Same here_."

"What've you been up to?"

"_Same old, same old. Tracking, chasing. Missing_."

My heart sank. "Still no luck?"

"_No. Sam and I are getting really pissed, though_."

"No kidding."

"_Anyway, what's new with you guys_?"

"One of the Winter's friends showed up yesterday."

"_Oh yeah? Which one_?"

"Do you remember Dahlia, the really quiet one that's weird around Grandpa Carlisle?"

"_Yeah_."

"She swam here yesterday."

"_Swam_?"

"Swam. Apparently she's not into 'modern' stuff. The rest of them are flying in today, though, and Cael's supposed to be here soon."

"Speak of the devil," said Aunt Alice.

I looked out the window to see Cael pulling into the driveway in a silver car, Tanya sitting beside him. "Oh, here he is now."

"_How many of them are coming? Sam's going to want to know, especially since they're carnivorous_."

"Three. I seriously doubt that Cael's carnivorous, though, not since he's started living with the Denali."

"_True_." He was quiet for a moment. "_How're you doing_?"

"It's really bizarre, not having you here. I've got to say, I'm not loving it."

"_Me neither._"

"Do you still think you'll be home this week?"

"_I hope so. If not I'm going to have to drag this out a bit. Sorry_."

I grimaced. "Uh…um…okay."

"_I'm not thrilled about it either, but until we get this freak, I don't have much choice. I'm really sorry, baby._"

"It's okay, seriously."

"_Doesn't seem like it_."

"I'll be better once you're back."

"_Are you worrying?_"

"I'm trying not to."

He chuckled. "_I'm fine, honey_."

"Yes, I know. I don't doubt you."

"_Sure, sure. Hon, I've got to go. Sorry. I'll call you back as soon as I can, though. I'm on patrol in two minutes._"

"Okay. I love you."

"_Love you too_."

"Please stay safe. Please."

"_Of course I will_."

"Promise?"

"_Yes, Renesmee_."

I smiled and hung up in time to see Cael and Tanya. "Hi, guys."

"Mrs. Black," Cael said in his charming Irish cadence. He was a handsome dark-haired man of medium height. His butterscotch-coloured eyes answered my question about his diet. "It is a pleasure to see you again." He kissed my hand.

I chuckled. "You, too."

"How was your honeymoon?"

"Awesome, thanks."

"Lovely! Did you see Ireland?"

I laughed. "Of course."

"And?"

"I loved it."

"I rest my case," he said, turning to Tanya. She smiled and wrapped her arm around him. "Would you happen to know where my brothers and sisters are?" he asked.

"Your timing is impeccable," Aunt Alice told him. "They're picking up your other friends as we speak."

"Ah. I take it Dahlia's already here, then?"

"Yes. She's upstairs."

He sighed. "Hiding, no doubt. Typical Dahlia. I'll go see if I can't drag her out of seclusion."

After he left, the rest of my family greeted Tanya. "Where's everyone else?" she inquired.

"Jasper's still at university," Aunt Alice said. "And Carlisle's at work."  
"University?"

"He's finishing his doctorate in philosophy."

I left them to talk and went to read while we waited for the Winters to get back. I snagged a book off of the shelf without looking and found a couch. I sat down and then glanced at the cover. I smiled as I recognized the copy of Dracula that Grandpa Charlie had given me for Christmas two years earlier during our last visit to Forks. A bittersweet longing gnawed at me. It had been too long since I'd seen him, but until this crisis had abated, there was no sense in even considering it. The last thing I wanted to do was drag him into this disaster with us. With a sigh, I flipped the book open and began to read.

When the Winters returned, I was forced to abandon my book and was summoned it Grandpa Carlisle's office. Everyone else had managed to squeeze in as well, but just barely.

"All right," said Rob. "Here is what we know: there are at least four vampires in the area. They have killed conspicuously and without fear of consequences. There is at least one newborn among them, and they appear to be trying to implicate us in order to bring the human authorities down on us. They are unaware of the killings which took place here seven years ago as a result of the vampire Victoria's newborn army. They have managed to evade all of the werewolves' attempts to catch them thus far, and there appears to be some sort of pattern to their actions. They may or may not be connected to Ian's vampire TA, Karan Rai. Have I left anything out?"

"I'd say that about covers it," Dad said.

"You mentioned a pattern," said Austin Klein, the Winter's German friend, in his thick accent. "What do you believe this pattern to be?" he asked.

"I don't know," Emily said, answering for him. "There's something that seems familiar to me about the series in which these crimes have been occurring, but I haven't been able to place it yet."

"Is this related to your past?" Austin asked her quietly. Emily shrugged in reply.

I looked at Tara. "Do you think it is?"

Tara gave a hard smile. "If it was, do you really think they would tell me?"

I certainly understood the feeling.

Dahlia asked something in Italian.

"We would be very grateful if you would track whoever is doing this," Rob said.

"But you said there were four?" Tanya said.

"We were hoping that she might be able to track Karan for us," Ian said. "His attendance is even dodgier than mine, and I want to know what he's up to. If he's related to this, it could explain a lot."

I frowned. "How so?"

He looked at me. "I always thought it was a little convenient that it just happened to be David who was killed. I have a hard time believing that it was mere coincidence that David, who was not only a Quinault but also your friend, was targeted."

I paused. He had a point. Why hadn't I noticed that? How had I managed to _not_ notice that?

"I'll keep trying to work it out," Emily said, rising with a sigh. She left the room and shut the door behind her.

"What do you need us for, then?" asked Henry, their second Irish friend.

"You're very adept at dealing with people," Rob said. "That's something that will undoubtedly be useful once we figure out who this is."

"Any theories?" asked Cael, toying with one of the souvenirs on Grandpa Carlisle's desk.

"Honestly, none," Rob said.

Cael looked at Dad.

"I have no idea," he said unhappily.

"So we're essentially chasing after ghosts," Tanya said with a sigh.

"Not quite," Aunt Alice said. "We know that whoever is doing this is real. We just don't know who or why."

Dahlia said something quickly in Italian.

"Please be careful," Tara said to Dahlia.

"We appreciate you doing this," Grandma Esme said. "Truly."

Dahlia glanced at her, but made no reply.

"We owe it to your family," Austin said. The others murmured in agreement.

The Winters shifted uneasily and exchanged glances amongst themselves, clearly uncomfortable with what he was implying. It only took me a second to catch up. _Of course_, I thought. _He's one of their revolution-groupie friends. He probably still thinks that we're going to replace the Volturi._ We could only hope that they wouldn't expect anything in return for their assistance.

Three long days passed, and Jacob did not call. My worrying progressively increased with each day. I called him a thousand times, but there was never any reply on his phone. To pass the time, I threw myself even deeper into my studies.

After dinner, I went up to my room to crack open my homework. I had a test coming up for my English class, and Ian had just assigned a major essay on George Washington, so distracting myself wouldn't be hard.

I was hardly done my thesis when the phone rang. My heart leapt. I picked it up as quickly as I could. "Jacob?"

"_No, I'm afraid not_," said Uncle Jasper's voice.

My heart sank. "Oh. Hi, Uncle Jazz."

"_Hello. Do you think you could tell your aunt that I'll be late getting back? Something's come up._"

I frowned. "Uh…sure. Is everything okay?"

"_I'll explain when I get back._"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh. All right."

"_Thank you, Nessie_."

I hung up and sighed. "Aunt Alice," I said.

She appeared in my doorway shortly thereafter. "Yes?"

"That was Uncle Jasper on the phone. He's going to be late getting back."

She frowned. "Did he say why?"

I shook my head.

Aunt Alice frowned. "That's not like him. Did he say where he was?"

"No, but I'd assume he's at the university."

She flashed out of the room before I could say anything else and flew down to the door. I sighed and flashed after her. "Aunt Alice, wait. Going after him would be a mistake."

Rob, Emily, Dad and Mom all looked at us from the living room. "What's going on?" Mom asked.

"I think Jasper's in trouble," Aunt Alice said, a note of panic in her voice.

"He just called," I said. "He said he'd be home late because something came up, but he didn't give any details beyond that."

Concern flashed across all of their faces, even Rob's, to my surprise. "When did he call?" Dad asked.

"Maybe a minute ago," I said.

"I'll go find him," Rob said. "I'll see if he needs any help."

I hesitated and looked at Emily. She seemed to be following my line of thought. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said, catching his hand at the same time as Mom and Dad began to protest.  
"Rob, no. This is not a good plan."

He rolled his eyes. "For heaven's sake, woman, I can handle myself. I'm not going to kill him. Have a little faith."

"Forgive me for being sceptical of the man who harboured a very intense grudge against him for a century and then almost ripped him apart in front of his entire family two short years ago," she shot back coldly.

I grimaced. That was definitely going to start a fight, and their fights tended to have a high number of decibels involved.

Rob glowered at her. "I appreciate your confidence in my character, Emily." He tore his hand free of hers and then looked at Aunt Alice. "I'll bring him back," he said. "Alive," he added, shooting another purposeful look at his wife. He left the house and shut the door forcefully behind him.

Cael and Henry appeared on the stairs, frowning. "Who set him off this time?" They both looked at Emily even as they asked.

"Why do you always blame me?" she demanded defensively.

"Because you're the one that angers him every time, without fail," Henry pointed out.

I began to chuckle, but stopped as Emily focused her bone-chilling blue-eyed glare on me. "Sorry," I said quickly.

She sighed and glanced away. "So we're really just going to trust that he's going to be able to hold himself together enough to handle Jasper? There's no one to mediate. There will be no one to stop him if he loses control of himself. Are any of you really willing to take that chance?"

Aunt Alice looked at Dad. "Can we trust him?"

"Yes," Dad said, although he sounded uncertain. "Generally," he added.

I frowned lightly. "Why don't _you_ trust him?" I asked Emily. She was usually his greatest advocate. I'd never seen her doubt him so severely.

"I do trust him," she replied. "I trust him with my life. But I would _not_ trust him with Jasper's, not yet. He spent far too long hating him for me to be able to fully believe that he doesn't harbour any lingering feelings of ill will towards him. He almost killed him that day on the field. He'd planned to all along."

"The only way we'll find out is if we give him a chance," Dad said.

I hoped that he was right, because if it turned out to be a mistake…I shivered as I considered the consequences.

Uncle Jasper and Rob returned almost an hour later. I was sitting in the kitchen, staring out at the drizzly forest landscape that encircled the house, wondering where Jacob was and what he was doing when I heard the front door open. Everyone flooded to the entrance immediately.

"Are you okay?" Aunt Alice asked, hugging him quickly.

"I'm fine," he said.

"That's fine, Emily, don't ask," Rob said icily.

Emily scoffed but made no reply.

I grimaced and looked at Tara, who was standing beside me. Her expression was just as displeased. "How messy is this going to be?" I whispered to her.

She pursed her lips. "I'm going to guesstimate and say that World War Two will look like a mild disagreement by comparison."

I winced. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Well now that you're back, why don't you tell us what actually happened?" Emily suggested.

"Please, do get on with it," Uncle Emmett sighed.

"It was Rai," he said. "I was leaving my last class when he approached me," Uncle Jasper said. "I was behind the campus and essentially out of sight when he tried to skulk up from behind me. I confronted him, and he said that he was merely 'following orders'."

I felt like my jaw had unhinged.

"_Karan_?" Ian asked in disbelief. "You were attacked by Karan Rai?"

"Yes," Uncle Jasper said. "I couldn't get any information from him."

"I arrived just as he tried to attack him," said Rob. "He had surprising tact for a newborn. He must have been trained; there's no way that a newborn would innately use that sort of strategy."

"Are the two of you all right?" Grandpa Carlisle asked immediately.

"We're fine," Uncle Jasper said.

"However, the same cannot be said for Rai," Rob said.

"You _jerk_!" Uncle Emmett fumed.

Rob looked at him in surprise.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Ian exclaimed.

"What ever are you talking about?" Rob asked.

"You didn't let us even get a _crack_ at him!" Ian exclaimed.

"Oh would you _shut up_?" Tara and Emily said in unison. Emily hit his arm. "This is not a joke, Ian! Someone just tried to _kill_ them!"

And they had just killed the vampire that we'd hoped to have Dahlia track. With him dead, our job had suddenly become much more difficult – and dangerous. What if they were traveling together? I thrill of terror raised goose-bumps on my arms at the thought of one of the werewolves being caught alone on patrol with a coven in the area. I massaged my temples. "Oh, this is bad." A blush stained my cheeks as I felt every eye in the room turn to me.

"Ah," Dad said, listening to my thoughts. "You have a point."

"What's her point?" asked Mom.

"With Karan dead, we're back at square one in terms of tracking," Dad said. He looked at Dahlia. "Can you still track them based solely on their scent?"

Dahlia stared back blankly. She looked at Emily uncertainly.

"Cut it out!" Emily snapped. "You understand _and_ speak English perfectly well."

She looked at Rob instead.

Rob gave an irritated sigh. "_Vuole sapere se è ancora possible tenerne traccia_," he translated. "_Ora è ferma. Tutti a comprendere e sappiamo entrambi che li capisco_."

It was Dahlia's turn to sigh. "Fine," she said. "I am not sure how useful I can be, as I am only able to track trackers."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Perfect. So we just ran straight into a brick wall."

"I think you kind of forgot to tell us that," Mom said mildly.

"Well, we were hoping that you might be able to try tracking normally," Rob said to Dahlia.

Dahlia's eyes widened. "_Sei matto_? I have never tracked a regular vampire before! What are you thinking? You are really willing to bet everything on this? If I fail, the consequences will be horrendous, you realize."

"I know," Rob said. "But we have to try something. You're very powerful. I'm sure you can still help us."

She sighed heavily. "This is unsafe, Rob."

He was about to retort when there was a knock on the front door.

Dad gasped in horror. His face seemed to pale as he moved to the door quickly.

I frowned. I knew that look; I'd only seen it a few times before, but I would have known it anywhere. It was the look he got when something extraordinarily awful had just happened, and it usually pertained to our family. _What is it now_? I wondered fearfully. _Surely it can't be the FBI again? What're we going to do if they arrest one of us_? "Daddy, what's wrong?" I asked, fearing the answer.

He didn't reply. He wrenched open the door and ran down the stairs at vampire-speed towards the driveway where Sam's rundown truck was idling. Behind it was Sue's Chevrolet. Sam and Seth climbed out of the truck, their faces solemn. Quil, Embry and Leah got of Sue's car next, their expressions equally serious.

I seized up automatically. "No," I heard myself whisper. _No, no, no, no. Please, no. Don't let this be happening. He promised me…_

Quil and Embry wandered towards me. "Hey, Nessie," Quil said gravely.

I began to tremble. "No," I said again.

"Can we go inside?"

It took me a moment to remember how to speak. "Not until you tell me what's happened to my husband."

Embry pursed his lips and glanced at Quil. Something in my expression must have been convincing. "He…well…"

I felt my knees grow weak. "Is he alive?" I choked.

"Yeah, he's alive," Quil said quickly. "He's alive, Nessie, but he got hurt. Pretty badly, actually."

I swallowed. "How badly?"

"Badly enough that we're going to need a doctor," Embry admitted.

"I'm on it," Emily said immediately, appearing from behind me. "Where is he?"

"He's in the truck," Quil said, glancing over his shoulder. Sam and Seth were taking him out as gently as they could manage.

"Carlisle, Rob," Emily said urgently over her shoulder, and then proceeded to rattle off a string of medical terms that I doubt I would have understood even if I had been paying attention. I watched her as she moved to Jacob's side and found myself drifting after her half-consciously. I could smell the blood even before I reached him. His shirt was completely soaked in it. Jacob's face was a chalky colour, and his lips were disturbingly pale. Even unconscious, he looked like he was in massive amounts of pain. The very sight of so much lost blood almost stopped my heart. I didn't have to be a doctor to know that he was in danger of exsanguinating if they couldn't get the bleeding under control.

"What on earth happened to him?" Emily asked urgently as they carried him back to the house.

Seth hesitated for a moment and then said, "We got into a play-fight with Sam's pack. It went a little too far."

"You call this 'a _little_ too far'?" I snapped, looking at Jacob again. "How could you let this happen?" I demanded of Sam.

"I'm truly sorry, Nessie," Sam said sheepishly. "Things got carried away and Jacob tried to intervene. I thought my pack had better sense."

"Apparently not," I said coolly.

"Renesmee," Dad said warningly.

I met Sam's black-eyed gaze evenly. "I expected better." I turned on my heel and stormed back into the house. I followed the procession surrounding Jacob into the guest room on the main floor. The moment he was laid on the bed, he was swarmed by Grandpa Carlisle, Emily and Rob. They spoke so quickly that even I missed half of what they were saying, although I didn't understand most of the half that I managed to catch anyway.

Aunt Rose touched my arm. "I'm sure he'll be okay, Nessie."

I looked at her. "Since when do you care about Jacob?" I asked coolly.

She ignored my tone. "I know he's important to you and you're important to me and for that reason, I'm forced to care about his wellbeing. Besides, the mutt's not always a complete screw up."

I took a breath to keep myself under control. I was _not_ in the mood for her snarky remarks. Seeming to sense this, she wisely stopped talking.

Rob looked at us. "Rosalie, I would be very grateful if you and Nessie could give us some space to work."

She nodded and took me by the arm. "Come on," she said, attempting to lead me away. I remained rooted to the spot. She stared at me for a moment and then said, "He's in good hands. They know what they're doing."

"Seriously, Nessie, go. We have this under control," Emily said without looking at us.

I took a shallow breath and allowed her to pull me out of the room. She dragged me downstairs. The pack was standing by the door while Dahlia, Austin, Henry, Cael and Tanya remained on the far side of the room. The two clusters watched each other suspiciously, with my family spread out between them, trying to break the ice between the sides. Judging by the wary glares they were shooting at each other, it wasn't working.

I dropped myself onto the couch between Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. They both looked at me. "How is he?" Aunt Alice asked.

I buried my face in my hands and sighed. "I have no idea, but he looks awful."

"I told you they were dangerous," I heard Dahlia mutter to Cael and Austin. "They even hurt their own kind."

I resisted the urge to glare at her. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed Ian taking care of it for me. "Sensitive, Dahlia," he murmured sarcastically.

Rob and Grandpa Carlisle emerged from the guest room almost a full hour later. I leapt to my feet and waited for them to speak.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed. "It's not good. He has four broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken wrist, a punctured lung, a moderate concussion and some minor haemorrhaging."

I closed my eyes, my hands clenching into fists. _Idiots_, I spat mentally as I felt my ire rising. _I can't believe Sam let them get away with this. What kind of Alpha is he?_

"How is he?" asked Grandma Esme worriedly. "Is he in pain?"

"We've given him a steady supply of morphine," Rob assured us. "He's healing, but it'll take time."

"How much time?" I asked shakily.

"I'm not familiar with werewolf healing patterns, but if he continues at this rate…I'd say a week or so, provided that he gets his rest and doesn't cause himself further injury," Rob said.

"That's his nice way of telling you to stay out," Emily said to Uncle Emmett, appearing from behind them.

"You people always blame his injuries on me," Uncle Emmett said defensively.

"Is it any wonder why?" Mom said.

He grinned unrepentantly.

"Nessie, you may see him now," Emily said.

I followed her back into the guest room. Jacob was propped up against several pillows, his eyes closed. Some of the colour had returned to his face and his expression was relaxed now. His entire arm had been splinted and white medical gauze was wrapped around his bare torso. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him. "You just had to save the day, didn't you?" I said, my voice breaking. "Oh Jacob." I sighed and sat on the edge of his bed carefully and took his good hand. It was slightly cooler than it should have been.

"He'll make a full recovery, Nessie," Emily said softly.

I wiped my eyes. "I just can't believe that this happened. What was Sam thinking?"

"It wasn't Sam's fault." We both looked at Jacob. He opened his eyes slowly. "'Can't blame this on Sam, hon. He wasn't there."

I pressed my lips to his palm. "How're you feeling?"

"Awesome."

I smiled unwillingly.

"I mean it, hon; this was my bad. Sam's not the one to blame here. If you want to be mad, be mad at me."

I glared at him. "Don't think I won't."

He smiled weakly.

"I can't believe you would be that foolish," I said.

"Paul just got a little out of hand."

Emily turned to look at him suddenly, her brow furrowed.

I glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

Her gaze flickered to me briefly and then locked on him again. "Nessie, can I have a moment with my patient?"

I frowned. "Why can't I stay?"

"Well," she said, picking up a needle. "I have to administer this, and I'd hate to see him embarrass himself if he squeals or something," she said, winking at Jacob.

He rolled his eyes. "Keep talking like that and you'll be the one squealing," he muttered.

I heard her chuckle as I left the room. "You talk tough, but remember who has access to the barbiturates."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It took Jacob days to be able to walk again. Apparently he'd had a spinal injury that they'd failed to mention initially. The wolves – with the exception of Sam, who, thankfully, had left for La Push almost immediately – hung around the house as they waited for him to recover.

"For the last time, Nessie," Emily sighed as I glowered at her across the kitchen table four days after Jacob's return. "We didn't tell you because we knew you were going to respond precisely the way that you have been."

"I'm still mad at you."

She sighed. "Of course."

"Shh," Ian said, frowning.

We both looked at him as he turned up the volume on the flat screen mounted in the corner.

"_…Making it the twenty-fourth confirmed murder in the series, and with three more disappearances in the area over the past two days and no new leads, the death toll looks like it will continue to rise. The FBI announced today that they will be increasing the reward offered to anyone who can come forward with information._"

"I don't understand," Emily muttered. "Three more? I thought things were finally calming down."

"That's hardly the most disturbing part," he said. "One of the victims lived less than two blocks away."

I buried my face in my hands. "This can't be happening."

Emily slammed her fist on the table with an angry hiss. I parted my fingers to see a fresh crack running through the granite tabletop. Grandma Esme wasn't going to be pleased about that. However, Emily didn't seem to notice, and if she did, she didn't appear to care. "I don't understand why someone would do this to us!"

"That makes two of us," Ian muttered.

"Are we _still_ worried about this?"

I turned in my seat to see Jacob hobbling towards us.

Emily glared. "I told you to stay in bed."

"I second that," I said, smiling against my will at the sight of him nonetheless.

"Bed, schmed," he said dismissively. "Come on, I've healed. I'm okay. I'm walking, aren't I?"

"Jacob Black, if you exacerbate that injury, it will be your fault, and I won't be so liberal with the morphine," she threatened.

"You are such a cruel, heartless doctor," Ian said, shaking his head.

"Oh go be a professor," Emily said, shoving him out of the room. Ian cackled wickedly.

I pulled up a chair for him and helped him into it. "She's right, you know. I won't have any sympathy for you if you harm yourself."

"I'm loving the solidarity," he said sarcastically.

"I wasn't the one who got into an out-of-control play-fight, now was I?" I said, hitting his arm very gently.

He gave a low chuckle. "Is there anything to eat around here?"

"I'll make you something," Emily said.

As she prepared his meal, it occurred to me that I hadn't seen Dahlia, Cael, Austin or Henry today. "Where're your friends? And Tanya?" I asked, frowning slightly. I hadn't seen much of her or Cael over the past few days.

"They left on a hunting trip shortly after Jacob got here," she said as she sliced a cucumber. "They're not used to being around people with blood, and they're not finding it particularly easy. Plus, they're extremely wary of the wolves."

"Is that a nice way of saying that I scare the crap out of them?" Jacob smirked.

Emily chuckled. "Well, yes."

A pleased look settled on his face, which fell flat as Emily slid him a turkey sandwich and vegetables, which was followed by a glass of milk.

He groaned. "What is this?"

"_This_ is a healthy lunch, and you'd better get used to it. I know you've been sneaking in junk food. I saw your blood tests."

"Killjoy," he muttered darkly.

"Eat it," she commanded.

I grinned as I watched him inspect his meal critically. "You're very cute when you're being picky," I informed him.

"I know it's not a doggy treat, but do you think you can make do?" Emily asked in an antagonizing tone.

He made a face at her.

"How're you feeling?" I asked as he ate.

"Everything still hurts, but the doc trio says I'm okay." Without looking up from his plate, he asked, "Are you still upset with Sam?"

I snorted. "Yes."

He sighed.

"Come on, Jacob," I said, exasperated with this whole thing. I couldn't believe that I was the only one bothered by this. "He's an Alpha. He's supposed to know better than to let his pack act like a bunch of idiots." I caught Emily glance at me and then at Jacob.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably and picked her workbag up off of the counter. "I have to run," she said, but her voice was not as carefree as before. "I'll see you later. Get your fluids, stay in bed, and please, for the love of all that is holy, avoid Emmett at all costs. Nessie, I'm counting on you if he should prove to be less than cooperative."

I smirked. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and please give this to Tara," she said, pulling a dog tag on a silver ball chain out of her pocket and tossing it to me. I recognized it as Tara's half of Ian's dog tag from his days as an airman in World War Two. "She left in the library."

"Sure," I said. "Have a good day."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Once we were alone, he continued. "You know it wasn't his fault."

"I know it wasn't _entirely _his fault, but he was definitely at fault."

He sighed. "Well you'll have to forgive him sooner or later."

"Don't hold your breath."

He turned in his seat to look at me. His expression was disapproving. "Nessie, come on. That's a little childish."

"You were almost killed!" I exclaimed defensively. "What kind of a leader lets his pack spiral that far out of control?"

"Sam is a good leader," Jacob said firmly. "And one little incident doesn't change that."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Jacob, this was not a 'little' incident! I can't believe you're being so blasé about this! He failed as an Alpha, and that's not insignificant!"

"You need to let this go," Jacob said, anger sparking in his dark eyes. "I mean it, Ness. Just drop it. It's over and done with. There's no point in you getting mad now."

"Do not tell me to let this go. Sam messed up, and that's the truth."

"Talking about anyone we know?" asked Quil and Embry, striding into the room and blatantly ignoring the room's less-than-pleasant atmosphere.

"Leave it to you to get totally destroyed in a _play_-fight," Quil snickered as he and Embry slid into seats across from us. I sighed in irritation. The last thing I needed was for them to turn all of this into a joke. Why was it that no one understood how serious this was?

Jacob gave him a disparaging look. "I don't seem to recall you being very helpful."

"Yeah," Embry laughed. "We're mixed up in the heat of battle, and there's Quil Ateara, cowering at the sidelines like a scared little puppy."

Quil glared at him. "Yeah, as opposed to Embry Call, who took down a grand total of _zero_," he retorted hotly. "At least I actually got one, and let me tell you, he was nippy, even for a vam–"

"Shut up!" Jacob roared.

They all froze simultaneously and looked at me, horrified.

It only took me a second to put everything together: Sam's poor excuse for the accident, Emily's suspicious glances, Jacob's defensive attitude towards the Alpha of the other pack, his extensive injuries, injuries which were far more serious than would have been sustained in a play-fight…

My irritation exploded into full-blown anger immediately. "One of you had better tell me what actually happened. _Now_."

Jacob looked at me remorsefully.

"It was my fault," Seth said. "I was on patrol when I came across a fresh scent. I was stupid. I followed it back to the vamp, but there were six of them. Six newborns."

My eyes widened. A chill swept over my skin, dampening the flames of my rage with ice-cold fear. We'd only known about _one_ for sure.

"I tried to get away, but they were fast. Just as they were about to attack, Jacob showed up." Seth looked at me remorsefully. "I'm really, really sorry, Nessie. We should have told you from the start, but we didn't want you to get freaked out. And Sam wanted more time to check things out for himself."

I was only vaguely aware of the words coming out of Seth's mouth. I glowered furiously at Jacob. Betrayal and sadness washed over me. So he really thought that he couldn't even be honest with me about what happened? "You lied to me," I half-whispered.

"I'm sorr–" Seth began to say again.

I cut across him. "_You lied to me_!" I screamed at Jacob.

"I thought it would be for the best," Jacob replied calmly.

Embry and Quil exchanged awkward glances and shifted out of the room, followed closely by Seth. Leah, however, remained behind Jacob, her eyes narrowed with reproachful disdain as she gazed at me. But she was not my primary concern at the moment.

I felt like fire was running through my veins as I stared him down. "I cannot _believe_ that you lied to me about this! _Again_!" I fumed. "We agreed to be honest with each other about all of this stuff, Jacob! So, what you think that only applies when you feel like it?"

"Well can you really blame us for not saying anything?" Jacob said dryly. "You would've gone charging up to La Push and until we catch these stupid newborns, La Push isn't safe for anyone, and the last person that I'd want to be there right now is you."

"Don't pretend that this was about _me_. It had nothing to do with me Jacob! You are so unbelievably proud! So just admit it! The only reason you didn't tell me is because you think I can't take care of myself. I'm not a child, I'm your wife, and I had a right to know the truth!" I was shaking by the time I had finished my rant.

"Of course you can't take care of yourself!" Jacob exploded. "You've never had to! You wouldn't even know how! You've always had someone to take care of you. With a bunch of newborns running around, I already have to protect not only myself, but my pack, so I don't want to have to worry about keeping you alive too!"

I scoffed. His arrogance astounded me. "I don't need _you_ to keep me alive!"

"You don't know what it means to fend for yourself, so don't start with this self-righteous routine."

I gaped at him. His comment burned me like a white-hot branding iron. Tears filled my eyes. _Tara was right_, I realized. _He doesn't want me._ "Well allow me to put me out of your misery." I spun on my heel and stormed out of the house.

I passed Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett on my way towards the forest. "What's the matter?" Uncle Jasper asked.

"I just need some air," I said, my voice breaking. I began to run and didn't stop until I was deep in the forest. I had no idea where I was when I finally did stop. I wasn't familiar with these woods. Jacob and I hadn't had time to explore them with all of the craziness that had transpired over the past two months. But I couldn't have cared less. Anywhere but that house.

I lowered myself to the ground and leaned against a tree, sobs wracking my entire body. I wept because I'd been wrong. I wept because Tara was right. I wept because I'd been naïve and because I was furious beyond words that he would have the nerve to lie to me yet again. He really didn't think that I could handle the truth? How could he have so little faith in my ability to handle the truth? To handle myself? How could he think so little of me? All of this had merely reaffirmed all of my doubts regarding imprinting.

I wept uncontrollably until I was too tired to cry anymore. The pain that screamed through me gradually made my limbs feel numb. This was _not_ what marriage was supposed to be like. My parents didn't have these kinds of fights. So what was wrong with Jake and me?

I wrapped my arms around my legs and exhaled heavily. After a moment, I tilted my head back against the damp, moss-encrusted trunk of the tree. I glanced at my watch and groaned. It was almost three in the morning. I would miss yet another day of classes. I wasn't going to ever graduate at this rate.

I was distracted as a fork of lightning illuminated the forest for a split second. _Great_, I thought. _It's going to rain. That's just perfect._ As if on cue, thunder rolled overhead. Several seconds passed before another explosion of lightning lit the forest. It was then that I suddenly caught sight of a dark shape barely twenty feet away from me.

My heart stopped in my chest, and then began to gradually beat faster. I held absolutely still for a moment, waiting to see if it had just been an illusion. _Would stand to reason,_ I thought quickly. _You're upset, it's dark…it's probably just a weirdly-shaped tree or something_. Nevertheless, I got to my feet quickly and squinted through the darkness, trying to make out the shape again, but the darkness was impermeable, even for my superhuman vision. Another bolt of lightning disproved my hopes.

My breaths began to come faster and my body trembled with terror as I realized how stupid I had been. There were at least six vampires roaming the forests, and I had chosen a time like this to run off on my own.

I turned and began to walk away as quickly as my legs, which suddenly felt very unstable, would allow me to. When the next flash gave me another glimpse of my surroundings, there were three more shapes in front of me. The fact that they were vampires was immediately evident. Paleness like theirs did not occur naturally. They were all male, and very new, judging by the brief flash I got of their vivid crimson eyes.

I inhaled sharply, my skin going cold. I backed away and turned east instead as the rain began to fall. I walked quickly at first, but it wasn't long before I was sprinting as fast as I possibly could. A burst of adrenaline burned away the exhaustion that had dulled my wits enough to allow them to sneak up on me in the first place.

When I glanced over my shoulder again, they were behind me. My eyes widened. I barely managed to keep from running into a tree as I turned my gaze forwards once more. Somehow, my panic seemed to clarify my thoughts. _Okay, think rationally, Nessie. Right now, you're headed towards the house. If you do that, you'll lead them straight to everyone else. You should go somewhere else._ Nodding to myself, I veered left and began to run north. When I looked over my shoulder again, there were two more. Six, just like Seth had said. And all six were gaining on me.

_Would screaming be of any use?_ my brain speculated as my heart hammered in my chest. I tried to go faster, but they were young and strong, and I knew that no matter how fast I went, it wouldn't be enough to outrun them. _Wait…they're newborns. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it by now. But they haven't. So what is this, then? If they're not here to kill me…_

Presently, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the impossibly light footsteps as yet another immortal fell into stride with me. When I turned my head to look at my seventh pursuer, I was stunned to see the face of a woman staring back at me. It only took one glance for me to realize who she was. The similarity of her face was unmistakable, as was her less graceful gait and the sound of her heartbeat. She had to be one of Emily and Tara's sisters. She regarded me with cold, unflinching grey-blue eyes.

_Oh _damn…

This, all of this, had to be William Taylor. He had gone to the Volturi in an attempt to get rid of us just two years earlier. He'd given them information about the Winters in the hopes that Aro would destroy them. So of course he would follow through now, especially since he realized that we were on to him now and that we'd set the Volturi on him instead. From what Emily had told me, it made sense that he would go to such lengths to have us eliminated. They were the only two people on the planet that had the power to destroy what he was trying to create, and unfortunately for us, that had put us in his crosshairs as well. I recalled what Rob had said about his unusual fascination with me during our brief meeting at Grandpa Carlisle's hospital in Vancouver two and a half years earlier, following Jacob's rock climbing accident.

Rob had been right, this was not a coincidence. If there was anyone that had motive to set us up, it was William Taylor. He must have betted on the Volturi getting involved sooner or later and taking us down, guilty or not, to give the impression to the rest of the vampire world that they were still in control. That had come into question enough over the past decade, and it was almost always because of something related to my family.

This startling revelation only added to my stress level as I tore through the forest desperately, unsure of where I was going. Where _could _I go? What did William want with me? And what were my pursuers doing? They could have easily captured me by now.

Another thought occurred to me suddenly. I plunged my hand into my coat pocket to feel for my cell phone. Miraculously, it was still there. Now, to get away from my entourage…

I swept the forest around me carefully, looking for anything that would allow me to get away from them long enough to make a call.

I glanced at the sky again. Dawn was still a few hours away, and I didn't have to see the weather forecast to guess what the day would be like. So trying to hide in the daylight was out of the question.

A slow, sinking feeling of dread filled me. Whatever it was that they wanted with me, they were going to get it. I couldn't keep running forever, and escape seemed unlikely.

It was another half hour before I began to realize where I was. I was nearing the Quinault reservation. I didn't want to drag the Quinault into this, but it was still fifteen minutes to Tahloah and another whole hour to La Push, and I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to keep running for before they finally caught up with me. I prayed earnestly that my pursuers would remain focused on me and leave the Quinault well enough alone.

I felt a flicker of hope as the first house came into view. I passed a few more before making a beeline for the front door of a small redbrick house that seemed to be fairly visible. I knocked on the door quickly as the Taylor girl appeared at the edge of the settlement.

I swallowed and hammered on the wooden door again. After a few agonizing seconds, a middle-aged man with a sour glare opened the door. "Yes?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry to wake you, sir," I said quickly. "But may I come in for a moment? It's a matter of life and death." I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder and added, "Literally."

He hesitated, but something in my face must have convinced him. "Come in," he bade me. I thanked him hurriedly and focused on walking inside at a human speed. As soon as he had shut the door behind me and locked it, I pulled out my phone. I flipped it open and called my father on speed dial.

He answered on the second ring. "Nessie?"

"Daddy," I whispered, my throat thick with emotion. Tears pricked my eyes. "I need help."

"Where are you? What's wrong?" he demanded, alarm colouring his tone.

"I'm at the Quinault reservation. There are seven…_people_ following me," I said, exaggerating the word in the hopes that he would understand my meaning without me having to explain further. The Quinault man was pretending not to eavesdrop as he made a pot of chamomile tea. "There's a…half-person with them, a woman. I think she might know some of us. They've been on me since Ocean Shores. I didn't know what else to do." I hoped that my cryptic allusions hadn't been too obscure.

He was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but I could hear his fear. "Listen to me very carefully. I want you to turn around and head back this way. We're leaving even as we speak. We will meet you halfway. But I need you to go _now_. You said there's a half-breed with them?"

"Yes," I said.

"Yes, we had feared as much. Emily's figured out the pattern and she was explaining it when you called."

Well, that was of some relief. Of course, whatever information she had would have been much more useful before I'd been chased all the way up here.

"I need you to leave now."

I nodded. "Okay." I covered the receiver and turned to the old man. He was staring at me shamelessly now. "Thank you for your hospitality," I said. "But I must be leaving."

"Sure," he said, frowning slightly. He looked at me like I was insane.

"Thank you again," I said, leaving the house quickly. I was halfway down the stairs when I noticed the female standing on the other side of the street, her companions flanking her on either side.

I swallowed again and froze in place. "Do you really want to do this here?" I called, amassing what little courage I had. "Because this seems like a pretty inopportune place for a murder."

She made no verbal reply. She looked to her left and her right, nodding to the newborns beside her. All six began to advance towards me slowly.

My heart resumed its frenzied rhythm as I backed away and began to run down the street. I glanced around quickly to ensure that no one was watching and then increased to vampire-speed. I tore through the rain-soaked woods, my gaze set firmly homewards. I refused to look back. I didn't want to know how close they were. I couldn't stop thinking about my parents. My grandparents. My aunts and uncles. My friends. And…_Jacob_. How would I be able to stand dying with him angry and me at him? Regardless of how he felt about me, I still loved him more than my own life.

I heard a snarl and turned just in time to see one of the newborns directly behind me. I screamed as my foot caught on something, sending me to the ground. I tensed, waiting for the pain of being torn apart alive.

There was a whoosh of air and then a crash that sounded like a rock crushing a tree. I lifted my head quickly to see Rob in the midst of a death-lock with the newborn that had almost attacked me. I watched in horror as he ripped its head off.

"Nessie, go!" he called.

I pushed myself off of the ground as my uncles, aunts and grandparents streaked past me. They looked at me worriedly as they flew past, but said nothing. Jacob was the last to pass me. Our eyes met for a long moment. I looked away first.

"Nessie!" Emily shouted.

My gaze snapped in the direction of her voice.

"Come with me! Come on!" she screamed. "Hurry!"

I ran to meet her, and didn't stop once I'd reached her. She ran behind me until we reached the house. I burst into tears the moment I got through the door as I realized that it was finally over. Emily hugged me tightly. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

I was sobbing too hard to speak coherently. Her years of maternal experience with her sisters became evident as she comforted me. When I managed to pull it together, Emily guided me to the couch and stroked my back. "Are you okay?"

I took another breath and forced myself to calm down. _Just get a grip,_ I told myself. _It's over now._ "Yeah, I'm okay. I've just never been so scared."

She frowned worriedly and smoothed my hair. "So they just started following you?"

I nodded. "There were six newborns and a half-breed."

Tara, who was standing in the doorway, exchanged glances with her.

"I think she was your sister," I told them.

Emily chuckled humourlessly. "Well that explains why Rob and Ian wouldn't let us come. What did she look like?"

I swallowed and tried to remember her face. "She had blue-grey eyes and–"

"Blonde hair?" Emily guessed darkly. "_Very_ blonde hair?"

"Y-Yeah." I frowned.

Emily sighed and massaged her temples. "Catherine," she spat.

"The infamous Catherine?" Tara asked.

Emily nodded. "It figures that he would make her second-in-command. She was always impressively twisted."

"Well that sounds positively hostile."

I almost screamed. All three of us whirled around to see Catherine Taylor standing in the entranceway with four newborns. They were not the same four that had chased me through the forest. She smiled mockingly. "Hello, sister."

Emily grabbed my arm and pushed me backwards. "Nessie, Tara, go."

My terror flooded back instantly. I looked at Tara. She glowered back at Catherine defiantly.

"That wasn't exactly a polite comment," Catherine noted as she wandered casually through the room, inspecting it critically. "But then, politeness was never something you seemed to be terribly good at. I see you haven't changed."

"What are you doing in my house?" Emily snarled.

"Outsmarting your new family. I still can't quite believe that the rumours are true. You really are living with the infamous Cullen family. I didn't believe my ears when I was told." She gave a hard chuckle. "But they're not why I'm here," she said as she approached Emily. "Not entirely, anyway. I'm here for them," she said, pointing at Tara and then at me.

I blinked in shock. What would she want with _me_? Tara I could understand, but _me_?

Emily snorted. "You always were rather dull. If you think they're going anywhere, especially with _you_, you've reached an entirely new level if stupidity," Emily said coolly.

"Oh Em," she sighed. "So stubborn. You always were, too. Now let's not make this difficult."

Emily slipped into a crouch. "Try me."

"Em, do not do anything stupid," Tara cautioned.

"You should listen to her," Catherine said. "It'd be a pity to have to tell Father that I killed you. He has much bigger plans for you."

"He can go to hell, where he belongs, and you can go right along with him," Emily hissed.

Catherine chuckled.

"For the last time, Tara, take Nessie and go," she said without turning. Neither of us moved.

"Are you really so foolish as to think you can stop me?" Catherine laughed. "I'm leaving here with them."

"Over my dead body."

"Don't tempt me," Catherine said, her eyes flashing. "Jack, Pearce, take the Cullen girl. Oren, Christian, get my sister."

"Not a good idea," Tara said, her eyes narrowing in concentration, the way she did when she was putting her shield on maximum strength.

"What do we do with this one?" asked the one standing to her immediate left, gesturing to Emily. There was a thirsty glint to his unnervingly red eyes.

"She's mine," Catherine said.

I recognized Jack Morriswell and Christian Whitehall from the newspaper article about their disappearances as Jack and the one called Pearce advanced towards me.

It was difficult to resist the urge to retreat despite the fact that I knew Tara had her shield around me. I took a half-step back instinctively.

"Don't," Tara said, her voice strained. "I need to concentrate."

I froze instantly.

As she spoke, I saw Catherine hurl herself at Emily out of the corner of my eye. The two crashed into the staircase, destroying the first four steps in an explosion of wood splinters. Both Tara and I turned to look.

Before I knew what had happened, the one called Jack had my arms pinned behind my back.

Tara whirled back. Her eyes widened.

"Drop your shield or we'll kill her," Jack threatened.

I closed my eyes, stiffening immediately.

"It's already down," she said quickly. "I…I dropped it when I got distracted." She looked at me remorsefully.

"It's okay," I assured her.

"Good," Jack said. He began to drag me from the room.

Jacob's words from earlier flooded back. _You don't know what it means to fend for yourself_. The memory of his words stung me now as much as it had then. But now I had a chance to prove him wrong. I gritted my teeth. _Well I'm not going down without a fight._

"What the…?" Jack exclaimed, his grip on me slackening as my thoughts transferred into his mind.

I took advantage of his shock and tore my arm free. I kicked him as hard as I could, and was pleased to watch him fly back several metres. He crashed through the wall and landed somewhere outside. I turned on Pearce, who was now looking at me warily. Remembering what Rob and Uncle Jasper had taught me about combat, I made sure not to go for the obvious attack. I let my instincts take over as the newborn began to return my attacks. But he was stronger than the vampires and half-breeds I'd practiced with were, and I found myself falling behind quickly. Finally, he caught me from behind and tossed me into the solid oak door. My body tensed again as I slammed into the door, cracking it from top to bottom. I winced and rolled onto my back. Before I had time to recover, he picked me up and dragged me into Grandpa Carlisle's office. Catherine stood over Emily, who lay motionless on the floor, a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. There were fragments of granite all around her, and there was a sizeable dent in ledge over Grandpa Carlisle's fireplace. I gasped.

"What do we do with this one?" he asked.

Catherine looked at him. "We take her to my father."

"You don't have to do this," I whispered.

"I'm not doing this because I _have_ to," she spat. "Where's Tara?" she asked my captor.

"Here," said the one called Christian. He carried Tara, who was also unconscious, in his arms.

"Good. Bring them both," she said, glancing at Emily once more. A cruel smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She kicked her sister's head viciously.

"Stop it!" I screamed at her.

She ignored me as she stepped over Emily's body and walked out of the room. "Let's go, before what's left of their family gets back."

Christian nodded and disappeared from the room.

That was it. That was the last straw. Anger like I had never felt before in my life surged through my veins like lava surging from a volcano that had been building for years. Everything that had ever angered me rushed back in an instant and set my whole body on fire. I was angry that my parents treated me like a child and always had, I was angry that they didn't trust me, I was angry that my family was always in danger, I was angry on Emily and Tara's behalf for what they'd gone through, I was angry that Jacob probably didn't love me and he definitely _didn't_ trust me, I was angry that William was doing this to us and I was angry above all that after things had finally started to go back to normal, our lives had been turned upside down all over again.

I judged the strength of Pearce's grip before ripping my arm away from him and shoved his chest with as much force as I possibly could. He went flying through the door.

Catherine turned back to look at me. She sighed. "Well. That was foolish of you." Before I even saw her move, she was standing in front of me, her hand locked around my throat. "You will _not_ interfere with my family's affairs."

I gagged as I tried to breathe past her death grip, but I could feel the strength rippling through her muscles. A slow, sinking feeling of dread filled me as I realized that she could break my neck in her hands, right here and right now.

"_Catherine_!" my father's voice boomed from the door to the house.

Catherine made no move.

"Get away from her!"

She looked at me for a moment and then threw me at Grandpa Carlisle's bookshelf. I didn't have time to brace myself this time. I hit it with tremendous force, destroying its fastenings to the wall. I fell back to the floor, knocking the wind from my lungs. I lay there for the briefest of seconds, trying to get my head to stop spinning. My vision righted itself just in time for me to see the bookshelf falling towards me. I scrambled up as quickly as I could and grabbed Emily. I moved her out of the way just as the bookshelf hit the floor. I stood still for a moment and then began to shake uncontrollably. I put Emily down carefully and sank to my knees. My ears filled with a buzzing sound. My vision began to swim and darken around the edges. I felt like I was moving in slow motion as I fell back and hit my head off of the corner of the bookshelf. The last thing I saw before blacking out was a silver dog tag on a ball chain lying on the floor.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

When I came to, a sharp pain was emanating from the back of my skull. I opened my eyes experimentally, and then closed them quickly, hissing in pain.

"Sweetheart?" The voice was Jacob's, and I had never heard him sound so frightened. When I said nothing, he tried again. "Baby, can you open your eyes?"

I shook my head slightly, and then hissed again as another sharp pain tore through my neck.

I felt Jacob's hands touching my face and hair softly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have stayed at the house."

And immediately, our argument and my anger rushed back. My eyes snapped open. I pushed myself up, ignoring the agony that seared through my battered body. "I don't need your protection," I said as coldly as I could. "I'm not your dependant." I took advantage of his silence to get my bearings. I was lying in our room. Judging by the position of the sun, which was almost visible through the thin shroud of clouds overhead, it was just past midday.

"_Excuse_ me?" Jacob exclaimed. "If your dad hadn't shown up, you'd be dead right now!"

"Wouldn't that make your life easier," I muttered as I got off of the bed.

"_What_?" he demanded, whirling me around to face him.

I screeched as the movement twisted a muscle in my back. I fell to my knees and waited for the pain to stop.

"Nessie!" he exclaimed, horrified. He knelt beside me. "Nessie, I'm so sorry. I – I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"Just get away from me!" I said through gritted teeth. The pain dulled slightly, but it was still too intense to allow me to stand.

"At least let me help you up." He wrapped an arm around my waist lightly and tried to help me up, but I slapped his hand away.

"I mean it. I don't need you to _save_ me," I snarled condescendingly.

He looked at me in surprise. "I'm just trying to help!"

"I don't need your help!" Even as I said the words, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to stand on my own. "Okay, maybe," I admitted in as unfriendly a tone as I could manage.

He chuckled. "So stubborn." He helped me to my feet. "Come on. I'll take you to see your parents."

"I'll go on my own," I said firmly. I walked stiffly to the door and marched down the stairs, despite my muscles' screams of protest. I was barely halfway down the stairs to the second floor when Mom found me.

"Nessie!" she exclaimed. She hugged me gingerly. "Sweetheart, are you okay? How're you feeling?"

"Not fantastic," I admitted. I was suddenly overcome with questions. "Where's Tara? Is everyone all right? What was the pattern?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Mom said holding her hands up. "One at a time."

"Sorry," I said, stopping myself. "First of all, what happened?"

She pursed her lips for a moment. "Come with me. You should hear the whole story." She led me down the rest of the stairs, which I noticed had already been repaired, to the kitchen where most of my family had gathered with the Winters' friends. _They must have gotten back while I was unconscious_, I thought. I noticed that Rebecca and Ajay were also there.

Grandma Esme gasped and rushed to me. "Oh, Nessie," she whispered emotionally as she enveloped me in her arms. "We were so worried."

"I'm all right," I assured her, although the tightness with which she held me was not improving matters.

"Are you sure?" she implored.

I nodded, smiling at her instinctive maternal concern.

Dad embraced me next. I could see pain and intense concern in his black eyes but he said nothing.

"Really, Daddy, I'm just a little sore. I'm okay." I assured him.

He sighed and stroked my curls. "Seeing her hold you by the throat…" He shuddered. "That is the most terrified I have ever been in the entirety of my existence."

"I'm okay," I said again.

"Nonetheless, until this crisis has abated, I will not leave you alone again."

"I wasn't alone," I pointed out. "And really, Dad. There's no need to worry."

"Easy for you to say," he muttered.

I half-smiled as I remembered what Jacob had said about me inheriting my tendency to worry from both of my parents. I stopped smiling abruptly as I remembered that I was angry with him. His appearance at the other end of the room did nothing to help my irritation.

"I'm sure you must be curious as to what happened," he said as my aunts assaulted me with hugs.

I nodded and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. "I don't remember anything after hitting my head off of the bookshelf," I said.

"We left as soon as you called me," Dad said. "After we found you, they all split up. Rob killed one of them, and Emmett got another, but they had others waiting near the house while we chased the original six. Catherine circled back and met them near the edge of the property. It took me a few moments to realize what she was doing; she was clearly forewarned about my gift."

That meant that they had ten newborns. _Ten_. Eleven, if you counted the now-deceased Karan. Whatever William was up to, he was clearly very serious about it. As I looked at my family, I realized that all four of the Winters were missing. "Wait, hold on. Where're the Winters?"

They exchanged sombre glances first with each other and then with the Winters' friends.

"Emily's injuries were quite a bit worse than yours, I'm afraid," Dad said. "Catherine beat her very thoroughly. She went as far as to slam her head through the granite ledge above Carlisle's fireplace. She's been unconscious for about thirty hours now. Rob's with her, and Ian…"

I could only imagine what Ian was feeling right now.

"He's not taking the news about Tara very well," Dad said sadly.

I sat down on the couch and massaged my forehead, which was beginning to throb. "So what happened, exactly?"

I concentrated on their voices instead of the pain that set my entire skull on fire as they each took a turn telling me what I'd missed over the following two hours. My heart sank as they told me that Catherine had gotten away, as had the one with Tara. A sick feeling twisted in my stomach as I remembered seeing her dog tag on the floor. _Catherine succeeded in getting away with her_, I realized. _Which means William has her now._

Ian, Dad and my uncles had pursued them at first, but with no success. Ian had managed to catch up with one of them, but the encounter had almost cost him his life, and they were forced to return home. The pack had decided to take up a twenty-four-hour post around the house to make sure that they didn't come back while my family worked on repairing the damage that the newborns had inflicted on the house.

Apparently I'd woken up once for about five minutes since blacking out, but I had no recollection of it, which worried me. Emily, however, was not doing as well. She had slipped into a coma around dawn.

"And with her humanistic diet, her body doesn't regenerate as quickly as yours does," Grandpa Carlisle finished.

"Hey now." I turned around to see Emily standing behind me. "See? I'm fine." Rob hovered behind her anxiously. By the set of his jaw, it was evident that he did not agree with her assessment.

"You're okay!" Aunt Alice exclaimed, dancing across the room to hug her.

"Not exactly, but it's not as though she ever listens to me," Rob grumbled darkly.

Emily gave him an irritated look as she hugged my aunt. "I would be happy to listen to you if you weren't so chronically _pessimistic_."

Rob ground his teeth together.

I heard Henry, Austin and Cael chuckling quietly. Tanya elbowed Cael in the ribs and gave him a look.

"Well it's great to see you up," I said, cutting in before Rob could come up with a reply.

"Thank you," she said.

I looked at her for a moment as she embraced Rebecca and Ajay. Her expression did not carry the same underlying grief as her mate's. I touched Mom's arm. _Hasn't anyone told her about Tara yet?_

She shook her head slightly without looking at me.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" she asked, noting our apprehensive expressions.

"I'm going to go check on Ian," Aunt Rose said automatically.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to as well," Uncle Emmett said.

"Right behind you," Mom said. She evacuated quickly.

Everyone else lowered their eyes simultaneously. When she looked like she might explode, I touched her arm and mentally murmured, _Emily, Catherine took Tara. William's got her._

Emily went pale suddenly. She looked at Rob, and then at me again. "No. Someone tell me that's not true."

I avoided her eyes. I noticed everyone else doing the same out of the corner of my eye. She gasped and collapsed suddenly. I moved to catch her, surprised by her reaction, but Rob was faster. His arms shot out just before mine. "All right, that's enough for today," he said.

She was going progressively paler and began to hyperventilate. "I can't breathe," she choked.

I caught Rob shoot a look at Uncle Jasper. No matter how many times he reiterated that he had forgiven him, I would never be able to get over the strangeness of their new truce, not after I'd seen how hostile Rob could be towards him. I realized as Emily began to calm against her will that I had never seen a vampire, partial or otherwise, have a panic attack. Not even my father had ever become that worked up – that I'd seen.

Once she was breathing normally again, she said in a low, determined tone, "I am not going to let this happen. Let me go, Rob."

He gave her a look. "Emily, I–"

"_Robin, let go of me_ now!"

I flinched and backed away, startled by her sudden outburst.

Rob released her, seeming as startled as I was.

"I can't believe he did this," she whispered, lowering herself onto the couch. She covered her mouth.

"How bad is this?" I asked quietly.

"This is _catastrophic_!" she exploded. "He will stop at nothing to see his plan through, and if that means killing his own child, do you think that would slow him down? If he thinks it will serve his needs, he will kill her!" She clenched her fists. "No. I'm not going to let this happen. I will destroy him for this, and once I'm finished with him, I will move on to that disgusting parasite Catherine. I should have done it _centuries_ ago. No, they will pay for this, if it's the last thing I do."

I looked at Rob, stunned to my core. He met my eyes with a slightly concerned look. I had never heard her speak so maliciously, _ever_. I truly feared her like this. If there was any chance of finding out what she'd figured out, she would have to focus before she completely devolved into enraged ramblings.

I was about to speak when Grandpa Carlisle moved to sit across from her. "If we're going to get Tara back, you have to tell us what you know."

She buried her face in her hand and began to tremble, her breathing becoming erratic once more.

"Hey," Cael said, crossing the room and sitting down beside her. He took her free hand. "I know that you're strong enough to do this. Just breathe."

She took a breath and lowered her hand. "I already told you what I know," she said, her voice breaking.

"All of it," Cael added.

She inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "I still can't believe I didn't realize this sooner. I helped him plan this, for heaven's sake."

"Plan what?" I asked.

"My father always wanted an equal rather than just an assistant, someone who could work with him the way he'd worked with Joham. Joham was always his inspiration, but he didn't see him as his equal. He'd put him on a pedestal."

"He didn't consider you his equal?" Aunt Alice asked.

She shook her head. "I was his helper, but never his equal. I was not capable of independently furthering his goal. No, he always spoke of creating others, others who would share his vision. He wanted to mentor someone, I suppose you could say. Originally the plan was relatively…_humane_," she chuckled blackly. "It would essentially have been the same thing that Joham did to him. But then he went and changed it." She massaged her temples. "He decided that if he was going to have one apprentice, why not more than one? He planned to take males that already had significant others. That would save him the trouble of having to abduct a woman that was a stranger to them, and it would be slightly subtler. He could plant a story in the minds of their neighbours about them running away or something to that effect. He planned to turn the males and then teach them how to curb their thirst. Once he thought they were significantly trained..."

"What?" Grandpa Carlisle asked reluctantly.

She gave a hard smile. "As William so charmingly put it, 'some of the women would become mothers and some would become meals'."

I covered my mouth. I felt sure that I'd be sick.

"How did I not see this?" she moaned, raking her fingers through her long dark locks.

I mulled over everything she'd told us. The pieces snapped into place suddenly. It all made sense now. "Of course," I whispered.

"That _does_ make sense," Dad agreed.

"How does that make sense on _any_ level?" Rob asked incredulously.

"I mean that the strange events of the past few months make sense in light of this new information," Dad said.

"I still don't see how," Rob replied.

"Think about it," Dad said. "His actions brought the Quinault down on us. If they'd exposed us…if they'd informed the Quileute…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jacob said, frowning. "Hey now. We're not the bad guys."

"No offence, Jacob," he added as an afterthought.

"No, no, Edward's right. William wouldn't know about the treaty," Grandpa Carlisle said. "It makes sense."

"But then you're inferring that they know about the werewolves," Uncle Jasper pointed out.

"Everyone knows about them," Austin said.

"Especially after the confrontation," Henry added.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Do you vamps just sit around gossiping all day? Seriously. How do you find all find this stuff out?" Jacob was getting on my nerves today, but he had a point. I'd come to accept that we were well-known throughout the vampire community, but the wolves were common knowledge, too? That could potentially be dangerous for them.

"When you have eternity, talking about the weather gets old very quickly," Rob put in.

"This will only end if we kill him," Emily said. "There's no other way."

I blinked in shock. "_What_?" I gasped. "But he's your father!" The idea was utterly beyond comprehension to me. How anyone could ever be moved to hate their own flesh and blood the way she did was also puzzling to me. It was understandable, given what I knew about her father, but puzzling.

She looked at me wordlessly. She gave me the look that everyone had given me all my life, the one that irritated me more than anything else: _You wouldn't understand. You're too young._

"You're sure of that? You're certain that there's no way that we can resolve this peacefully?" Grandpa Carlisle asked softly.

"No," she said. "Nothing stops him, not family, not lives, not love, if he even knows what it is. I have never known him to fail in getting what he wants, ever."

"He let you and Tara leave," Uncle Jasper pointed out.

She smiled bitterly. "He didn't have a choice. It was he that taught me how to cover my tracks, and clearly he's very good at it. But, of course, Anya has made all of that irrelevant." She bowed her head. "Carlisle, killing him is our only option."

"So what would you suggest?" Dad inquired. "We can't just kill _him_, can we?"

"No," she admitted quietly. After a moment, she said, "We'll have to kill them all."

"All of them?" Grandma Esme said, her voice pained. "All of your siblings?"

"And all of the newborns he's created," Emily added.

"No," Rebecca gasped. She sat on a couch near the other side of the room, her mate hovering behind her, watching the room warily. He seemed to be continually on alert. "Surely Carlisle is right, killing them can't be our only choice. As for Father…that much I can live with, but they don't all believe as fervently in his mission as Catherine does."

"Then we will give them the chance to defect," Emily said. "I'm sorry, Becca. He's forcing our hand."

"What if we left the continent?" Grandpa Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, you don't understand," she said sharply. "He wants us dead, and believe me, distance will not deter him. Nothing will. He truly and wholeheartedly believes in what he is doing."

"But are you really prepared to kill your entire family?" asked Aunt Alice, appalled.

"They're not my family," she said quickly. "They are people trying to kill my true family and nothing more."

"'You sure about that?" Jacob grimaced. "Because once it's done, there's no going back."

She nodded determinedly. "It is what must be done."

"But why are they doing this _now_?" Dad asked. "That's the part that still flummoxes me."

"Flummox?" Jacob snickered. He and Austin exchanged amused glances at my father's dated terminology.

I rolled my eyes.

"What does William gain from doing this?" he continued, ignoring their mocking. "He doesn't seem like the sort to do anything without a purpose, but I truly cannot see the logic in his timing."

"I believe that we – Tara and I – are the intended targets," she said. "We know what he is capable of. He may want you now as well, Rebecca, now that he knows you and Ajay are working with us against him. We are the last living pieces of evidence that can condemn him."

"No, that doesn't make sense," Dad said. "Aro read your thoughts at the last confrontation. He would know as fully as you do what he is capable of."

"Not quite," Rebecca said.

All eyes turned to her.

"Everything that I told Emily was told _after_ the crisis with the Volturi. She made sure of that. She didn't want to know anything that I knew that could potentially incriminate Tara."

"Incriminate her?" Uncle Jasper asked.

"She didn't do anything. There's nothing incriminating about her," Aunt Alice remarked.

"I know," Emily said, speaking for herself. "But I didn't want her to tell me anything that they could construe as evidence of her guilt."

"Smart," Uncle Emmett nodded.

For five long minutes, the only sound that disturbed the otherwise total silence was the roll of thunder overhead and the sound of the rain beating against the window panes. Lightning would flash every so often, briefly illuminating the dark grey sky. The sun had never seemed more distant to me than it did then.

It was Austin who spoke first. "So what do we do?"

"Jasper, Rob, you know how to fight. You can review how to fight newborns, and Rebecca and I will try to show you what you can expect from William and the Taylors," she said. "Rob, Carlisle and I can order a supply of blood to keep everyone strong, as much as I hate to draw from hospital supplies. We'll hunt more often. Dahlia can try to hunt down Anya."

"Anya?" Dahlia asked.

"Another Taylor," she said. "She's a tracker. She should be relatively easy to find. She's not all that intelligent, from what Rebecca tells me." The new edge to her voice disturbed me. Her fear seemed to be making her almost ferocious. I saw Rebecca's expression becoming increasingly despairing as the conversation progressed.

"The packs are definitely with you on this one," Jacob said, stepping forward. "Sam and I are both sick and tired of Creeper and his little band of freaks dancing around our border."

She nodded. "Good. Henry, Cael, Austin, I would be most grateful if you could meet up with some of your other…contacts and ask if they might be willing to participate. Warn them that the Volturi will be involved, which could mean the loss of their anonymity."

Eager smiles erupted on their pale faces. I wondered how many other revolutionary enthusiasts these people knew. "They would surely be willing to make the sacrifice if…" Henry began, casting a casual glance towards Grandpa Carlisle.

"No," Rob said firmly. "Do not expect your hopes to come to fruition, and tell them the same."

The three nodded, sobering slightly, but their excitement was still ripe in their eyes. _Please, please, please have the sense to keep your ideas to yourself,_ I thought. We didn't the Taylors _and_ the Volturi trying to kill us.

"Alice, perhaps you could try to get a read on the future?" Grandpa Carlisle suggested.

"I don't know how much I'll be able to see, given the number of half-breeds involved," she said apologetically.

"I understand. Still, anything you could provide us with would be useful."

She nodded.

Everyone rose to leave to perform their given tasks. I intended to go to the library. It felt like ages since I'd cracked open a book.

"Cael, wait."

Though she was talking to Cael, I paused as well and looked back.

"I need to speak with you." She took a breath. "There's something I need to tell you, something that I should have told you years ago."

Wonderful. More secrets that she'd been keeping from us.

He frowned. "I don't understand."

She looked at me purposefully.

"Oh, right," I said quickly, leaving the room with a crimson blush. I shut the door behind me and wandered into the hall. Grandpa Carlisle, Rob, Henry, Austin, Tanya and Dahlia were all standing near the kitchen. I joined them, moving to stand beside my grandfather.

"The question now is what do we do in the meantime?" Grandpa Carlisle said.

"I will leave immediately," Dahlia announced. "I will report to you every few weeks."

"Take this," Rob said, giving her his cell phone. "And please be careful."

She rolled her eyes and muttered something in rapid Italian. She embraced her friends and then left.

I could only pray that she was as good as the Winters thought she was. She was our last hope.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: We decided to post this chapter early, in honour of the release of Eclipse. Enjoy! :)

-Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Cael stormed out of the library moments after Dahlia left, slamming the door behind him. We all watched him, surprised. Tanya looked at us, and then at her mate before rushing after him.

"What's his problem?" I asked Dad.

He sighed loudly. "Emily has not been entirely transparent with us yet again, it would seem. It would appear that William first tried his little…_experiment_, shall we say, with Cael."

My eyes bulged.

"He _turned _Cael?" Henry gaped, exchanging shocked glances with Austin.

Dad nodded.

"No, that cannot be!" Austin said quickly, his thick accent almost making his words indiscernible. "He was turned by a woman. He told me himself."

"Emily's father has a gift for altering memories," Dad told him quietly. "That was simply a story that he left in Cael's head."

What a revoltingly ingenious idea. William really was very thorough about keeping his tracks hidden, and he had the perfect gift to help him do so. His gift was the reason that Kate of the Denali, who (along with Irina) had inspired Emily and Tara to choose a different existence, had no recollection of the sisters or their ghastly father whatsoever. "But then why isn't he with him?" I asked.

"Emily talked him out of it. She felt sorry for him, apparently."

I sighed, shaking my head. The world felt like a terribly small place with William and his evil in it.

"Well, we ought to get to work," Dad said.

I decided to go and see Ian while they all left to start on their various tasks. He was alone by the time I got there. He sat at the foot of the bed in the room that he and Tara shared. His shoulders were slumped as he stared at the floor. I could see Tara's half of his dog tag in his huge hand. He looked utterly devastated. I'd never seen him look so serious in the two and a half years that I'd known him. It made him look older and more like his brother, though they weren't even physically related. I stood in the doorway awkwardly as I tried to think of something to say.

"Hello, Renesmee," he said without looking at me.

I bit my lip. "Hey there, Ian," I said, and then cursed myself for sounding so ridiculously upbeat. _His wife is missing, you freaking idiot, and you sound like you just won the lottery,_ I thought disparagingly.

He lifted his head and attempted a smile, but it mangled on his face.

I bit my lip. "I um…I'm really sorry, Ian. About Tara."

He nodded and dropped his head again.

"But hey, if there's anyone that can get her back, it's our family."

He nodded again. "Of course."

I rocked back and forth on my heels for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say. I sighed and sat down beside him after a moment.

He continued to gaze at the floor. "This is my fault." He raked his fingers through his jet-black hair.

"Aw, Ian, don't do that to yourself," I said. I felt a ripple of sympathy for the tall, broken vampire.

"I wouldn't let her come with us. I was afraid that she would get hurt," he said massaging his temples. "And, of course, she became furious. If I'd let her come…" He sighed. "If I'd swallowed my pride and just let her go with us…Emily says that he'll kill her if he feels it's necessary. And if he does…it will be my fault."

"You can't play the 'if' game with yourself," I said, shaking my head. "You'll just drive yourself crazy. You couldn't have known that Catherine was going to show up. Emily didn't even know, and she's the only one out of all of us that actually knows her."

"Yes, but if I'd let her come, we wouldn't have to be having this discussion," he half-moaned.

I fell silent again. I chewed on my lower lip and toyed with my bracelet.

Suddenly, he inhaled deeply. "No," he said. "I won't do this. I sound like my sister, blaming myself for everything."

I had to smile.

He looked at me suddenly. "What's bothering you?"

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Tara told me about what she said to you in the library when you were packing. She's afraid that you took it to heart."

I looked away. I should have known she'd tell him. "No, I'm fine."

He managed a complete smile this time. "I may not have a truth gift, but you're not much of a liar, Nessie."

Why did everyone keep _saying_ that? I considered unburdening my concerns to him for a moment. Finally, I decided in favour of it. If I couldn't trust my own family, who could I trust? "Okay, I kind of have been thinking about it a little. Well, maybe more than a little. I've been thinking about it a lot, actually."

He nodded and thought for a moment. "Nessie, you have to realize that she was only talking about a book. She hadn't meant to imply that you and Jacob were in the same situation or that Jacob's feelings for you were any less valid because he imprinted. She never meant for you to question your relationship."

"Well, real life _is_ the inspiration for most novels, isn't it?" I pointed out.

"Yes, but you can't really think that there's much of a comparison. Shakespeare probably had never even dreamed of the existence of vampires, much less werewolves and half-breeds. Therefore how could it possibly apply to you?"

"I don't know," I said.

"I know Jacob's been very concerned about you," he told me.

I looked at him sharply. "How do you know that?"

"I consider him my brother every bit as much as I do Rob. We talk."

I wanted to hit myself for asking such a stupid question. Of course they _talked_. They obviously didn't just talk about graphics when they were playing their video games. "What's he worried about, exactly?"

"He thinks you're hiding something from him."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Did you tell him…?"

"No."

I almost sighed in relief.

"That's for you to do." He looked at me seriously. "Forgive me for intruding, but I think you owe him an explanation."

I'd thought about telling Jacob about what Tara had said a thousand times, but I knew what he would say. He would tell me that I didn't understand and that he wished he could explain his feelings to me, but they were utterly beyond description. And I would try to believe him, but I knew that it wouldn't be of any consolation. The fact was that Tara's idle speculation had hit my fears exactly, and there was no way to shut Pandora's Box once it was opened.

"I don't presume to understand your relationship myself, but it would seem to me that his feelings are genuine."

"I know they're genuine _now_," I said. "But what if I'm Rosaline?"

"I can't answer that," he said. "But the person who can is right upstairs."

I glanced at the ceiling instinctively. He was right. The only way to move past this and get on with life was to be direct. I rose with a sigh and made my way to the door. I paused in the hallway and turned back to look at Ian, who was fingering the ball chain of Tara's dog tag like a rosary. "Thanks, Ian."

He nodded his head. "Thank _you_. I was in need of a distraction."

I smiled at him and then climbed the staircase to the third floor. As I walked, I tried to decide what to say. _Hey Jake. So I've been lying to you for two months now. I think you're wrong about imprinting and that you're just temporarily smitten. Hey, Jake, so I think our marriage is a big, fat, lie based on a book._ There really was no good way to say what I was feeling.

My brain was still racing when I reached our door. The first thing I saw was Jacob's grey T-shirt on the floor. I froze in place. I tore my eyes away from the discarded shirt to see him standing by the window, shirtless. Leah stood in front of him, peeling the last of the medical gauze off of his skin. She pulled part of it off too quickly.

"Ow! Damn it!" Jacob hissed.

"Sorry!" she said, rubbing his well-defined chest. My eyes threatened to explode from their sockets. A burst of jealousy overwhelmed me. "But gees, Jacob. Grow a set. It's just a bandage."

"Did _you_ get mauled by six newborns? No. So shut up."

Leah chuckled. There was an edge to her chuckle, an edge that disturbed me greatly.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded breathlessly. I felt as if I'd just been punched in the stomach.

Jacob looked at me. His expression darkened. "Hi, Nessie."

"What the hell is going on?" I repeated.

"I'm changing Whiney's bandages. No need to spaz," Leah said, frowning disapprovingly.

"And you didn't think you could leave that to a _doctor_?" I snarled, grabbing Jacob's shirt off of the floor.

Leah looked at me with mild surprise. "What exactly is your problem, leechling?"

"Right now, the way you're looking at my husband is my problem."

Both she and Jacob gaped at me.

"_What_ did you just say to me?" she said, her voice dangerously quiet. She took a step towards me. She was a few inches taller than me, which I became acutely aware of as she glowered down at me. "I _have_ a boyfriend, freak show, and if you think I would _ever_ get anything going with _him_," she said, jerking her thumb at Jacob, "then you have seriously lost your mind."

"I know what I'm seeing," I snapped.

"Apparently not. _I_ had to change his bandages because you were off having your own little pity party downstairs, you pathetic bloodsucker." She flicked her cool gaze from me to Jacob.  
"This is what you have to live with?"

Jacob made no reply as he glared at me furiously. He snatched his shirt from me and pulled it on. I met his glare evenly. I heard Leah shut the door behind her after she left. The minute she was downstairs, all hell broke loose. "What is your _problem_?" Jacob shouted. "Did you actually just accuse me of cheating?"

"What am I supposed to think?" I yelled back. "Everyone else is on patrol, and she's up here playing nurse?"

"She had to play nurse because _you_ won't talk to me, and because Emily's still recovering!"

"Sure, Jacob, turn this around on me!"

"I will, because you are the one being completely _insane_! How could you even think that I'm capable of that? That _she's_ capable of that? She has Jeff, for crying out loud! And I'm _married_!"

"Yeah, for now!"

We both stopped dead. He looked at me with a heart-breaking combination of pain, shock and confusion. "Is that was this is about?" he choked. "Is this what you've been keeping from me for the past couple of months?"

"This is about you, Jacob. I feel like I don't even know you anymore. How am I supposed to trust someone I don't even know?" I tried to hold on to my anger, but I could feel my pain seeping through. Tears pricked my eyes and began to blur my vision. I blinked them away furiously.

I felt a thousand times worse as I noticed tears glistening in his beautiful dark eyes. I wanted to burst into tears and tell him that I was sorry, that I hadn't meant what I'd said, but I couldn't. I wouldn't let him think he'd won.

He sank into a chair slowly, thunderstruck. "Nessie, what's going on?"

"What are you talking about, what's going on?" I snapped.

"Why are you acting like this? This isn't like you."

"You think you actually know who I am?" I challenged.

The pain in his expression deepened. "Yes. Of course I know. I've known you from the day you were born."

"That's just it!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "I want a husband, not a babysitter! And I want someone I can depend on!"

"When have I ever given you a reason to think you can't depend on me?" he asked.

Something in me snapped. All of the pain, insecurity and secrets that I'd been harbouring for the past few months rushed out. "I'm supposed to be content in the fact that the entire foundation of our relationship is based on the fact that you took one look at me when I was a kid and suddenly you had some kind of mythical connection to me? Really? That's really supposed to make me feel secure in your affections? How am I supposed to know that the next time you go out and see some other girl that you won't just reconnect to her and forget all about me? I mean, you did it to my mom, didn't you? Your track record isn't exactly spotless in this department!"

He looked at me like he'd just witnessed an explosion. In some ways, I suppose he did. "You think I'm lying about imprinting?"

"No! I think the concept of imprinting is a lie!"

He stared at me in wordless disbelief for another few moments. "You really don't trust me at all, do you? You think I don't I know what I feel?"

"How can you? You're too young to know what we want! And as for trust, don't even get me started. You're not exactly known for transparency."

A scowl crossed his face as he began to recover from his astonishment. "And you're the model of honesty here?" he said. "How long were you planning on keeping that to yourself, exactly? And if you were so worried about imprinting being fake, why didn't you just talk to me?"

"Because I knew what you would say! 'I wish I could explain it to you, Nessie' or, 'Maybe you'll understand some day', or my favourite of all, 'There's really no way to describe it'," I said, imitating his voice mockingly.

"You really think I'm that petty? You think I just flip-flop around and pick a different girl every few years? And why do you _always_ drag your mom into this? I thought we already settled this!" He leapt to his feet suddenly, his face reddening. A vein pulsed in his neck. "I have given up _everything_ to be with you! I gave up my education, my home, my family, my friends and I shirked my responsibilities, all so that I could move into a house full of my immortal enemies! And you think I did all of that for some random crush? And after all of that, you have the _nerve_ to accuse me of lying about how I feel? So how much more do I have to prove before you finally understand?" I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "No, really! Tell me what it's going to take to get it through to you, because I'm out of ideas here!"

"There is nothing you can say that will convince me because I can't believe a thing you tell me anymore!" Tears flowed freely down my face now. What was I doing? Why had I ever thought that I would be able to discuss this with him?

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "You are absolutely ridiculous! Why do you have to be so childish about _everything_?"

I trembled with rage. Now he was calling me a _child_? That was the last that I could take. "I can't do this anymore," I whispered. "I won't." I spun on my heel and stormed out of the room. I retreated to the library and slammed the door behind me. I threw myself down on one of the patent leather couches and gave myself over to my misery and anger.

When I had used up all of my tears, I curled up in the fetal position, wrapping my arms around my legs. The fight ran through my head involuntarily. As I mulled it over mentally, a line from Romeo & Juliet played through my head. _"Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes."_

_Everything that he feels for me is tenuous_, I thought despairingly_. I will not be Rosaline._

To complete the mood, Rob and Emily's raised voices carried up the stairs then. I listened for a moment to ascertain what they were fighting about. I heard Cael's name mentioned a few times. It seemed that she hadn't told him about what her father had done to their friend. I tuned out after a few moments. Their arguments didn't interest me. All I knew was that never in my whole life had I ever felt so alone.

I lay on the couch for a long time. Finally, I heard the door open a crack. Jacob's scent washed into the room. I clenched my teeth and rolled over so that my back was to the door.

"Nessie, I want to finish this discussion," he said mildly. I felt the couch move as he sat down on the edge. "I want to get to the bottom of this."

I closed my eyes. "Just go away," I murmured, my voice hoarse from crying.

"No," he said firmly. "For once, I am not going to give you want. We are going to talk about this because that's what couples do when they have a problem. They _talk_."

"What's there to say? You've made your point."

"But I still don't understand yours."

I snorted. "And _I'm_ the one who doesn't listen."

He sighed. "Then why don't you make it again? What is it about imprinting that you don't understand?"

I snorted. "Please, Jacob."

I heard him take a deep breath. He held it for several seconds and then exhale. "Look," he said, his voice growing flinty. "I'm really trying to make an effort here. It'd be nice if you could meet me halfway."

I gave in after a moment and sat up. I stared forward at the nearest bookshelf, refusing to look at him.

"Thanks," he said. "Now can we please talk about this?"

"Fine," I said curtly. "Talk."

"No, that's not how discussions work," he said. "What is it that you don't understand about the way I feel?"

I took a breath. "Jacob, how would you feel if I told you that I just suddenly decided that you were the one by looking at you? When you were a baby, no less?"

"So you don't understand how imprinting works? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"I don't know, Jacob," I murmured, my voice breaking. I was so confused. There was so much that I didn't understand. I turned my head away to hide my tears of misery.

He paused for a moment, seeming to struggle for words. He sighed deeply after a moment and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know how to explain this," he said. The panicked desperation in his tone was heart-breaking. It was like another flurry of white-hot metal shards in my heart. He took a breath and tried again. "What I felt for your mom…it felt like it was like the most natural thing in the world. It felt right to be together, and it hurt when she wasn't with me. And when she was pregnant with you, that feeling was even stronger, and it got stronger still after you were born. At first I thought it was a need to kill you because I thought you'd killed Bella, and…and I loved her." He hesitated for a moment, gauging my reaction. I was mildly offended by his assumption that I would still be upset about that after all that had happened after I'd found out about them. But I kept this reaction to myself. When my expression remained the same, he continued. "But you have to understand that any feelings beyond friendship that I ever had for her were only because she is part of _you_. She will always be my best friend and I will always love her, but I wholeheartedly believe that any romantic feelings I ever had for her were because of her relation to you. It was like some part of me was telling me that she was going to be a part of the best part of me, the part that was still to come."

My throat felt thick. I swallowed as yet more tears pooled in my eyes. The fact that I had any saline left at all amazed me.

"I remember going downstairs just as she'd started turning, thinking that she had actually died. You were in the living room at your old house, with Rosalie. I was planning to kill you."

I blinked. Shock paralyzed me for a moment. I'd known he'd disliked me, hated me even, but I had never thought that he'd actually wanted to _kill_ me. He must have felt more strongly for Mom than I'd realized.

"I thought that the pull to you that I was feeling was part of that instinct, but the moment I saw you…the split second that my eyes reached you…it was like everything that had ever been important in my life was cut away. Every tie that I'd ever had to anything was snipped like a string and every string in me reattached to you. My entire world shifted so that you were at the centre. Every instinct I had, every feeling, _everything_. It was like someone had just explained the universe to me. Everything made sense, because you _were_ everything. You _are_ everything. And I don't know how else to describe what I feel."

I was overwhelmed for a moment. I stared at him, speechless. He had never explained this part of him to me before, not in this kind of detail, anyway. There had always been a part of him that I hadn't been able to understand. I'd thought it was because he was a werewolf, but I realized now that it was imprinting.

He looked back at me expectantly. Finally, he said, "Say something. Please. I'm going to lose my mind here. Can you just tell me what you're thinking?"

I swallowed again and tried to think. What _was_ I thinking? I wanted to believe him. "How is one look supposed to explain the past nine years, Jacob?" I replied. "You're telling me that everything in our relationship is based on some feeling that you had the first time you looked at me."

The hopeless look returned to him. He closed his eyes. "No, Nessie. I'm telling you that I love you and that I have always loved you. I have loved you from the day you were born and that it has grown with each day that's passed since. Love isn't even a strong enough word for what I feel. It's not the kind of thing that changes. That is what I'm trying to tell you. Why can't you believe me?"

"Because it makes no _sense_! What if you just snap out of the way you feel about me when you see some other woman some day?"

"That will not happen," he said. "Look, Nessie, it's not my fault that I am the way I am. I can't help being a werewolf or the way that we find our soul mates. Some things just are the way they are, and this is one of them. I can't explain it more than I already have. If you want to find someone else, the conventional way, then…then I won't stop you." He dropped his gaze.

My eyes widened. "_What_?"

"I'm giving you an out."

"I don't want an out!"

"Yes you do. And whatever you decide, I'll always love you," he said quietly. "And despite what you think, that will never change. So I'll be waiting for you if you ever change your mind."

I glanced downwards. "I think we need a break," I whispered beneath my breath. "I need some time to think about all of this."

He refused to meet my eyes. "Sure," he said in a barely audible voice. "Whatever you want." He rose and turned his back to me. He stood there for a moment and then walked away, shutting the door behind him.

I sat there for a long time. I lay down on the couch after a moment and refused to move. A numb sensation spread through me like anaesthetic. I closed my weary eyes and tried to force everything to fade away. All I wanted was to sleep and not wake up until all of this was over.

By some miracle, sleep found me. When I awoke, it was nightfall. The moon was bright that night. It streamed through the trees beside the window and left pale, dappled patches on the Persian rug beneath the sill. As I gazed at its ghostly light, I was struck by its beautiful simplicity. I sighed and tried to remember when my life had been that tranquil. It seemed like an eternity ago now.

I got up and made my way downstairs. I was surprised that I hadn't seen anyone yet. As I walked into the kitchen, I found Emily sitting at the island in the centre of the kitchen, her cell phone clutched in her hand. She stared at it intently, seeming to will it to ring. She barely looked at me as I walked in.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She put the phone aside and bowed her head, saying nothing.

"Don't give up," I said quietly, sliding onto the stool beside her.

Emily sighed. "I'm not giving up. I'm waiting, and I hate waiting. Powerlessness is not my thing." She rubbed her forehead with the heels of her palms. "Do you need something?"

What I needed, I couldn't have. "No."

She looked at me. "Then…why are you here?"

I took a breath and said, "I just need a place to think."

"About what?"

"Life."

"Right. Well, in less ambiguous terms?"

"Jacob and I are kind of…over. For right now."

She almost fell off her stool. "_What_?" she exclaimed. She stared at me like she'd just watched an atomic explosion. "What? _What_? Wh-How…Explain?"

I explained the situation to her, ignoring the tears that immediately began to stream down my face as I recalled the past two days. My heart felt like it was in a vice. She watched me sympathetically as I spoke, which only made me irritated. I didn't need sympathy from a woman who'd barely spoken twenty civil words to her husband in the past week.

We fell silent for a long time. "Nessie, I didn't know," she said softly. "I am very sorry. Tara would never want you to interpret her words that way, though. You know that, don't you? I'm sure it's not at all what she meant. She just gets carried away sometimes."

I nodded slightly to acknowledge her concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off quickly, desperate to talk about something else. "What happened with Cael?"

Emily sighed and twisted the phone in her hands. "Edward didn't tell you?"

"You know my dad."

"Fair enough." She paused and swallowed. "My father and I spent some time – well, a _lot_ of time – in England a few centuries ago," she said, although her accent was testament enough to that fact. We…also spend some time in Ireland. We were just passing by Kilkenny, and we were quite thirsty. He ended up attacking a young man that was walking home from work; he'd almost drained him by the time I got to them. I managed to stop him, but that meant leaving the venom to spread; I knew I didn't have the strength to suck it out without being tempted to drink the rest. I wasn't as restrained then, and I was far too thirsty. William wanted to make him his apprentice, but I was adamant that he leave him alone. There was something innocent about him. He kept screaming for his wife, his Kiara."

I frowned, confused. "So…you had a thing for Cael?"

She shook her head. "No. It wasn't like that. I just…I felt so sorry for him. Of course, I doubt that he'll ever speak to me again." She gave a humourless chuckle.

"Why? Shouldn't he be thankful that you convinced William to leave him alone?"

She pursed her lips. "Cael went home after he'd changed into a vampire. He inadvertently killed Kiara, who was pregnant at the time. I didn't find any of that out until much later, though, when Rob and Ian took me to meet their friends in Europe."

I shook my head and sighed. Cael's reaction definitely made sense in light of that bit of information. "That's awful."

We were silent for a moment.

"Have you talked to Tara yet?" I finally asked.

She winced, agony searing across her face for the briefest of moments. It disappeared just as quickly as she composed herself. "Don't change the subject, Nessie," she said quickly.

"Have you?" I pressed.

In a pain-laced voice, she said, "It would seem that they are keeping her unconscious most of the time. I can sense her, but I've only been able to actually communicate with her once. She has no idea where she is. She wanted me to tell everyone that she loves them, especially Ian, and that she's all right." She massaged her temples.

I took a deep breath. "You know, she's probably going to be fine."

Her hands balled into fists suddenly. Her small frame trembled with a kind of rage that I knew I would never be able to understand. "Please do not try to give me hope," she said.

"Sorry," I said, unsure of what else to say. After a moment, I said, "So why did William want me?"

She went back to toying with her phone. "What do you mean?"

"Why did he send your sister get me as well as Tara?"

She sighed. "He would find you very intriguing. You have several traits distinctly different from our own – such as the fact that your eyes don't change – and you are probably the only half-breed on the planet that's not from our bloodline."

"What do you mean?" I frowned. "Nahuel's not from your bloodline."

"Every half-breed that I'm aware of has some of Joham's venom in their blood, including Nahuel. Including me. That is, every half-breed except for you. There's no way that William would be able to resist that sort of temptation."

Of course. William had been changed by Joham, which meant that Nahuel was her cousin of sorts. Why hadn't I thought of that? "But he didn't get me," I said in an attempt to reassure myself.

She stared at her phone intently. She nodded slightly, pursing her lips. "No, he did not."

A wave of cold slipped down my spine. My mouth suddenly felt dry. "He's not finished with me, is he?"

She shook her head. "It's only a matter of time before he sends more, and believe me, if he ever gets his hands on you…you will wish you had never been born. And after he's gotten what he wants from you, he will kill you. That is why we must act now."

I shivered and thought about that. "Is that what you wish?" I asked quietly after a few seconds. "That you had never been born?"

Emily smiled grimly. "Constantly."

I looked at her sadly and thought for a moment. "Why didn't he take you?"

She gave a thin, hard smile. "Because he doesn't _want_ me. I am not nearly as useful as Tara, or you for that matter. In addition to that, he knows me well enough to know that I would never cooperate. I would imagine that the fact that he abhors me as much as I abhor him is also a factor."

"You don't know that," I said quickly. "You don't know that he hates you."

"Don't I?" she said with another empty smile. "Then why did he try to have me killed? Why would he take one of the few people in this world that he knows I would give my life to protect? Why would he send people to"

I had no reply.

After a few seconds, she sighed and rose. She walked to the doorway, and then paused. She turned back to look at me. "Be thankful, Nessie. You have everything that I've ever wanted. Be thankful for your family and all that you have. You never know when it may all disappear."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Afternoon passed to evening, which passed to night, which then became day. My sleep was disturbed, my dreams haunted by what Emily had said. It wasn't like I hadn't realized that I had every reason to be thankful for what I had, but the idea of it disappearing suddenly hit a little too close to home given the current circumstances.

I had barely been awake for two minutes when there was a knock on my door. "Come in, Dad." I didn't even need to ask who it was. Only he would have timed that so perfectly.

He opened the door. "Good morning, sweetheart. There's some food in the kitchen if you'd like to eat before we go."

"Go?"

"We'll be starting combat practice in about twenty minutes."

I nodded, rubbing my eyes as I sat up. "We're working on that today?"

"Yes. Emily missed our little session two years ago, as you remember, and their friends have no experience in fighting either, so we'll be starting from the beginning."

I nodded again. _Good_, I thought. _I'll need the refresher._

"Yes, well, I think we all do," he agreed.

"Is the pack still here?"

He paused. "No. They left last night."

_Just as well_, I thought darkly. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, hit with a sudden pang of longing for my absent Jacob.

"He's downstairs," Dad said quietly. "He's taken to camping out on the futon. Believe me, Nessie, if you think you're unhappy…"

I could only imagine what this was doing to him. Truthfully, it was the same for me. I missed sleeping beside him at night and awakening beside him each morning. I missed his heart-melting smile and his infectious laugh. I missed the look he got in his eyes when he looked at me. I missed his amazing, musky scent. I missed the way things had been. Every moment that he was away was like a gnawing, insatiable ache that burrowed deeper and deeper within me with the passing of time.

Dad sat down beside me. "I know you don't want to talk about this, but if you change your mind…"

"Thanks, Dad," I said quickly, shutting him down before he could get started on a parental lecture about the responsibilities of marriage. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I don't want to talk right now."

He nodded. "I understand." He rose, and with a sympathetic smile, left the room again.

I sighed. Again with the pity.

I changed quickly and then met everyone else in the kitchen. The first person I saw was Jacob. He was standing by the window, his muscled arms crossed across his equally-muscled chest, which was hard not to notice beneath his black T-shirt. The worn, resigned expression on his handsome, exhausted face was like a sucker punch to the gut. I pulled myself together and then walked past him.

"Good morning, hon," Aunt Rose smiled, passing me a blood packet from the fridge. "Did you sleep well?"

_About as well as you did_, I thought. "Yeah, thanks," I lied as I looked at the blood packet in surprise. "What's the special occasion?"

"You'll need to keep up your strength," Emily said without looking at me from where she sat at the breakfast bar. She looked particularly broody this morning as she nursed her habitual cup of morning coffee. She drained the rest of it quickly and then stood. "Come," she said tersely to no one in particular. "We have much to prepare for."

"Em–" Aunt Alice began to say.

"Don't, Alice," she said over her shoulder, her voice steely and remote.

I looked at everyone else, unsure of what to do. Rob sighed heavily and followed her, with everyone else trailing after him. I followed their lead, blood packet in hand. I drank it as we made our way to the lawn. Thankfully, our house was secluded enough that we could practice in the open like this. We formed a loose semi-circle, with Rob and Uncle Jasper standing in front of us. I noticed Rebecca and Ajay standing by the edge of the forest. Rebecca seemed interested, but Ajay seemed as wary and mistrustful as ever.

"Well, I suppose we might as well begin by reviewing how to fight mature vampires," Rob said.

"Do you suppose he'll have many mature vampires with him?" Uncle Jasper asked Emily as he and Rob began to walk in a wide circle around each other, stretching their limbs.

"Joham, perhaps."

"Yes," Rebecca said, approaching us. Ajay hesitated briefly, and then followed her. "He and his daughters are with him."

"Which daughters?" Emily inquired.

"Citalli and Zaniyah."

"What of Tiri?"

"She did not come."

Emily nodded. "While it's unlikely that there will be many mature vampires beyond William and Joham – who are incredibly strong, I might add – we may encounter more, for which we must therefore be prepared. They _do_ have allies, as impossible as it seems." She paused for a moment. "Also, William is mine to finish. Please respect that."

I gaped at her. "You're actually going to kill your own father?"

She whirled around, unleashing the full force of her unnerving stare on me. "He is the man that murdered my mother, stepmother and countless others, attempted to murder all of us and has kidnapped my sister. Forgive me for not sharing your sentimental opinion on the situation," she snarled.

I was taken aback by her hostility.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning," Jacob muttered very softly to Uncle Emmett. Uncle Emmett snickered, but stopped as both were simultaneously smacked by Aunt Alice.

Jacob's eyes flicked to mine for a moment. We gazed at each other silently, and then both glanced away. A sick, icy-cold feeling twisted in my stomach. I swallowed and tried to refocus my attention.

"All right, all right," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Rob, Jasper, please proceed."

Both looked as unsure as I was for a moment, and then continued. Rob cleared his throat with a final concerned glance towards his icy-eyed mate. "The keys to fighting a mature vampire are mental alertness and preparedness, reliance on your instincts, using careful strategy and an expectation of equal or greater skill and/or strength. Without these, your odds are greatly reduced of making it out of a battle alive," Rob reviewed. "You must always be alert, and keep your head continually on a swivel. Do not, and I repeat, do _not_ remain stationary. Jasper and I will demonstrate, and then we'll split off into groups."

My uncle nodded. "In addition, since we will be facing both newborn and mature vampires, you must never allow them to get their arms around you, under any circumstances. You must also remember that you must never go for the obvious attack, not with newborns, and especially not with a matured vampire."

"Wait, what?" Emily interjected. She looked at Aunt Alice to Uncle Jasper to Rob in shock. "You're going to demonstrate with _Jasper_?"

Rob rolled his eyes. "For heaven's sake, Emily," he muttered darkly.

Uncle Jasper chuckled quietly. "I'll be all right, Ade," he drawled.

Aunt Alice touched her arm. "Really, Ade. Rob's done this before, while you were in Italy. They'll be okay."

Emily looked from Aunt Alice to their mates and back again. She shifted uncomfortably, but said no more.

The fact that Emily was worried made me even more worried. Yes, I knew that Rob had calmed down a little bit in terms of his animosity towards my uncle, but with Rob's track record on these matters, it didn't seem like it could hurt to be too careful. I glanced at Ian, and, as he had been the last time Rob and my uncle had demonstrated for us, he was tensed and prepared to become involved in case Rob got out of control. And knowing Rob, that probably wouldn't be too hard.

Rob and Uncle Jasper tightened their circle around each other, their eyes narrowing in concentration. Suddenly, Uncle Jasper lunged. Rob flashed out of the way, but not quickly enough. Uncle Jasper caught his arm and threw him to the ground. Rob regained his feet quickly and then feinted left before checking him from the right with incredible force. Uncle Jasper flew into a tree with a resonating crack. Then, before he could recover, Rob flashed at the base of the tree and caught him by the throat, slamming him into the ground.

"Very good," Uncle Jasper praised.

Rob released his neck and helped him up, bowing his head in thanks. I was impressed by his calm nonchalance. Maybe Adelaide's concern was unnecessary.

"Again?" Uncle Jasper asked.

Rob nodded.

Both disappeared in opposite directions. After a few seconds, I heard the rushing of wind as they began to fly towards each other. At the last moment, Rob somersaulted over his head and whirled around to snatch at him. Uncle Jasper flashed out of the way and then curved back around, charging at Rob again. They collided with a resounding crack. Emily grabbed Aunt Alice's arm. Both looked away this time. Even I grimaced. As the two fought, I noticed that Rob was less reserved than he had been during the last practice session. Whether that was good or bad, I wasn't sure. He wasn't quite as fast as my uncle, but he had even better strategy and tact, which was evident in every move he made.

"I want to try," Emily said, her voice both forceful and emotionless.

Everyone looked at her. Rob faltered, giving Uncle Jasper an opportunity to snap his now loosely-grasped arm around and strike Rob hard in the chest with his palm, knocking him down.

Rob got up quickly and stood there for a moment. He looked from Jasper to Emily and back again. He hesitated, and then backed away, pursing his lips unhappily.

Emily gave him a withering look and faced off with Uncle Jasper. I tried to pay attention, but my eyes kept straying back to Jacob. His face was carefully arranged in a blank expression, but his dark eyes betrayed him, and what I saw made the ache in my heart even more potent. I could tell that he knew I was watching him, but he did not meet my eyes. He kept his gaze on the match, but I could see that he wasn't paying much attention either.

What was I doing? Why was I running away from the best thing that had ever happened to me?

But then again, why was he _letting _me run away? If I was his imprint and it was going to cause him pain to be separated from me, why would he offer me an out? Maybe he'd already re-imprinted?

Dad nudged me. "Focus," he said firmly.

I sighed and tried to return my attention to the fight just in time to see Uncle Jasper toss Emily to the ground easily. She hissed furiously and sprang up again. She tried again, only to end up on the ground yet again. Rob tried to help her to her feet, but she pushed him away, gritting her teeth.

"I think perhaps we ought to stop for today," Uncle Jasper said cautiously.

"No," she said flatly. "Again."

"Emily, you will do better when you are less emotional. We really ought to–"

She flew at Uncle Jasper once more and then wheeled around behind him and grabbed his arm. Uncle Jasper tried to twist out of the hold, but she held fast and tried to throw him off balance. She seemed to be winning when she froze suddenly. Uncle Jasper tore his arm out of her hand and was about to toss her aside yet again when he jerked to a stop. "What's wrong?"

She seemed to stare right through him as she stumbled back and then fell to her knees.

Dad gasped suddenly.

Everyone looked at him.

He looked at Mom. "Are you shielding her?"

She blinked in surprise. "No. Do you want me to?"

"What's wrong with her?" Aunt Alice asked.

Grandpa Carlisle looked at Dad. "Is she hurt?"

I frowned and looked at Emily again. Her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear her voice.

It was Rob's turn to gasp. He covered his mouth as realization dawned across his face. He flashed to her side.

"She's talking to Tara," Ian said in little more than a whisper.

My eyes widened. I watched her for several moments until she rose, her face pale, but resolved. We all swarmed around her. "Ade, what did she say?" Ian implored.

She took a deep breath. "She still doesn't know where she is, but she showed me images of her surroundings, and I think he's taken her north. I can't be sure, not until we hear back from Dahlia. He's been trying to turn her against me, against us."

"But she doesn't believe him, does she?" Aunt Rose asked, frowning.

"No," Emily said. She swallowed. "But if I know him – and I do –, he's just getting started. I am not innocent in all of this. He knows that, and he's going to make sure that she knows it."

"She would never turn against you," Ian said quietly. "Ever."

She gave a hard smile.

"For heaven's sake," Ian snapped. "Do you not think that William _wants_ you to start feeling like he can get through to her? You are playing into his hands."

"Do not presume to comprehend my father's mind, Ian," Emily snarled back.

"Enough," Rob barked. When Ian opened his mouth to speak, Rob cut him off. "I said _enough_! You're right; this is not a time for doubt, but nor is this a time for dissension. Get control of yourselves."

They fell silent and settled for glaring at each other instead.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed. "Rob is right. The priority is Tara. I understand that this is unbelievably difficult for you, but you must trust her, Emily . She is stronger than you give her credit for. I do not doubt that William will do whatever he deems necessary to try to persuade her, but main concern is getting her back safely. What he does to the contrary is not for us to worry about. Tara will hold her own."

I nodded in agreement, as did several others, and then looked at Emily. She bowed her head.

"Now," Grandpa Carlisle said. "What else did she say?"

She raked her fingers through her hair. "He's also been asking about Nessie."

My breath hitched as all eyes now turned to me.

"What does he want with her?" Mom demanded.

"He wants to know about her gift, and how she's different from us," she said. "He's been trying to learn everything he can about her. He's even spoken to some of your friends."

I felt myself beginning to tremble.

"Which friends?" Uncle Emmett demanded through barred teeth.

She smiled thinly. "Joham's son."

"Nahuel?" I gasped, stunned by the betrayal. He knew what William and Joham were. Why would he help them? What would possess him to turn against us?

"In his defence, Joham threatened to kill his aunt, Huilen," Dad put in.

"I told you he was dangerous," she told Grandpa Carlisle, ignoring Dad. "He is just like his poisonous father."

"He is not his father anymore than you are," Grandpa Carlisle said mildly.

She snorted. After a moment she spoke again. "Rebecca, do you know who Cali is?"

"Cali St. Pierre?" Rebecca asked, surprised. Emily nodded. "Yes, of course. She's my goddaughter."

"Wait, what?" Dad frowned, looking at her suddenly. "How is that possible?"

She flinched and looked at him warily.

"Sorry," Dad said quickly, his brow still furrowed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Cali is also my niece," she replied.

My eyes threatened to pop clean out of their sockets. "Your _what_?"

"Wh – _How_?" Emily demanded. "Whose child is she?"

"Anya's," Rebecca replied. "Anya has a mate, a French half-breed named Alexandre. He was the result of a young incubus's sloppy work. Joham found him whilst in France with Zaniyah. He brought him back with him and introduced him to us seven years ago. After he married Anya, Father insisted that they have a child."

So I wasn't the only half-breed that was unrelated to Joham.

"You never told me any of this," Emily said, her frown deepening.

"I didn't think you want to know more about our family than you had to." Rebecca looked at her for a moment. "Why do you ask about her now?"

"It would appear that she is being kept with Tara," she said quietly.

I mulled what she had said over for a moment. "So half-breeds can have children," I realized.

"Yes. You didn't know that?" Rebecca said, frowning as she looked from Emily to me and back again.

"None of us even knew that vampires could have children before Nessie was born," Aunt Rose said.

"The idea of second-generation half-breeds had never even crossed my mind," said Dad. Both of my parents turned to look at me in horror.

My cheeks burned. I shifted a quick glance at Jacob, who looked like he had just discovered the answer to an incredibly perplexing question. "I am _not_ pregnant," I said quickly.

"It almost makes sense now," Dad murmured, his eyes tightening as he gazed at me.

"Yeah," Jacob agreed.

"What're you talking about?" I asked, frowning slightly.

No one answered me. They just kept staring. When I could take it no longer, I demanded, "Can someone explain the epiphany? I don't get it."

"Well, the only thing stronger than a werewolf is a werewolf-vampire," Jacob said, ignoring Uncle Emmett's muttered comment about vampires being better than wolves any day. "And you know the whole theory about how wolves imprint on the female that can give them the strongest offspring, right?"

The pieces fit together in my head suddenly. "Oh," I said simply. A half-human, quarter-vampire, quarter-werewolf would not only be able to appear human, but would also be immune to vampire venom. They would be essentially invincible.

I looked at Jacob again. I'd never given much thought to children. I hadn't really thought they would be a possibility for us. I'd assumed that half-breeds would be sterile, like mules. But now that it was a possibility, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Even I had to admit that at nine years of age (technically), I was a little young to start having children. Physically, I was about eighteen, just like my mom had been when she'd had me. But she'd earned those eighteen years. I'd arrived here in less than half the time.

"At any rate, we ought to get back to work," Grandpa Carlisle said.

We split off into groups then. I found myself unable to really put much effort into it. I couldn't focus. I couldn't stop looking at Jacob. A strange pain gnawed at my stomach as I looked at him. I had never felt so strange or lonely in my whole life, not even when I'd sent him away. At least then I'd had the consolation – and what little consolation it had been – of knowing that he was leaving because I'd told him to, not because I was letting him slip away like sand through my fingers.

"Nessie," Rob said, recapturing my attention.

I looked at him.

He glanced briefly at Jacob. "I understand that there are many things of great significance weighing on your mind at present, but we must get through this. We have to be prepared."

I pursed my lips. "Sorry."

"It's all right." He looked next at Emily, who was fighting Aunt Rose. "I understand what it's like to be…distracted, shall we say."

Of course he did. He and Emily could barely last two weeks without scrapping over something. But I didn't verbalize this thought. "Sorry again. I'll focus."

"Why don't you join Ian and Jasper?"

I took one look at the two, who were a blur of snarls and teeth, and then looked back at Rob with a raised eyebrow.

"All right, maybe not. Your mother and your aunt, perhaps?"

I sighed and wandered over to join Mom and Aunt Alice. I fought half-heartedly and therefore lost most of my fights. Rob and Uncle Jasper both corrected and advised me patiently, although I knew that they must have known I wasn't really trying.

"Don't turn your back on her," Uncle Jasper called to me as I spun out of Mom's grasp, turning my back to my aunt in the process. She took advantage of this and tried to grab me, but I sidestepped quickly and twisted back so that I was facing both of them again.

"All right," said Uncle Jasper after another twenty fruitless minutes. "We'll try something different now." He and Rob conferred quietly for a moment, and then both nodded.

"We'll split off into two groups," Rob said. "I will lead one, Jasper will lead the other. We will simulate an attack to give you a clear picture of what to expect."

"Emmett, Emily, Jacob, Ian, Tanya, Carlisle, Austin and Bella, you're with me," Uncle Jasper said. "Bella, I'd like you to shield our minds from Edward, if you please."

"Yes," Uncle Emmett grinned. "This is going to be awesome, bro." He and Uncle Jasper high-fived. I wondered how long it was going to take for them to start laying bets.

"The rest of you, with me," Rob said. "If you will notice, we've split up all couples. We want each of you to focus on yourselves primarily, and I think we can all admit that we have a difficult time focusing on ourselves when the lives of our mates are at risk."

That was for sure.

"If you lose, move to the side and watch the rest of the fight," Uncle Jasper said. He and Rob exchanged glances, and then both turned to their respective teams.

Rob broke into a sprint, and I followed, along with Dad, Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, Grandma Esme, Henry and Cael. We ran for several kilometres before we stopped.

"Edward, I'd like you to run the lead with me," Rob said. "As for the rest of you, form a V-formation behind us. Try to keep to the formation as much as possible."

I fell into place between Cael and Henry.

"Have you ever done this before?" Cael asked me quietly.

"Yes," I said. "But not for real. We've only ever practiced. Everyone else in my family has, though, except for my mom."

He nodded.

"I didn't know Rob was so good at this. I'm glad I never got him angry," Henry murmured.

"No, that's Ade's job," Cael put in.

The two snickered. I fought a smile.

Rob turned his head to glare at them. "If we could _focus_, please?"

Both Cael and Henry pretended to look apologetic.

Rob rolled his eyes. "Jasper will try to form a circle around us. That is why it is crucial that we break through the wall on at least one front so that we can get around them. Edward, this is what you and I will focus on. William will most likely not be so strategic in his attack, and nor will his newborns be. He does not have Jasper's experience. But, if we can be successful against him, we will be more than prepared for William.

"Cael, Henry, Alice, your job is to get Jasper out of the way. They will be looking to him for leadership. If we can get rid of him, we can throw them off balance. However, they will be expecting this, and he will likely be protected, so you must also be subtle in your approach." He looked at each of us. "For the rest of you, remember to keep moving." He faced forward again.

He held up his hand and then lowered his fingers, one by one in a silent countdown. We all sprinted forward as he reached zero, keeping in formation. Snarls erupted instinctively as we raced towards Uncle Jasper's group, Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett in the lead. They began to branch out as we approached, trying to form a circle around us, just as Rob had predicted.

I flew at Grandpa Carlisle. He ran at me at the same time and dodged out of the way at the last moment. I flipped around to face him and then ducked as he tried to grab me. I rolled forward and knocked out his legs. Grandpa Carlisle looked at me in surprise as he hit the ground. I moved on to Emily. She grabbed at my arm, but I flashed out of the way. Unfortunately, I flashed right into Uncle Emmett's path. He tossed me into the ground and was about to reach for my throat, but I rolled out of the way and pushed myself up. Uncle Emmett disappeared suddenly as Rob tackled him to the ground.

By the battle's conclusion, Uncle Jasper had accomplished a marginal victory. Our team had fared fairly well against his, although Aunt Alice, Cael and Henry had all fallen in their attempt to bring my uncle down, and it had become a duel between him and Rob. I was brought down by Ian and Emily, who turned out to be a rather dangerous pair when they worked together.

We had just begun a second round when the fighting was distracted by the sound of Adelaide's ringing phone, although it was barely audible over the sound of the snarling. I looked at her in surprise and waited for her to answer, interminably curious. She ducked just in time to dodge an assault from Aunt Rose and then pulled out her phone. She took one look at the call display and turned a ghastly shade of white.

"Ade?" Rob said worriedly, touching her back. "What's wrong?" Rob asked.

Everyone fell quiet and looked at her.

She held the phone up to her ear. Looking at us purposefully, she said, "Hello, Dahlia."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"You were right," Dad said quietly as we sat in the kitchen. We'd returned to the house after the call, and were now congregated in the kitchen.

"She's up north?" Ian asked.

"She's in Yellowknife," Emily replied. "Dahlia did whatever it is that she does, exactly, and managed to track Anya. They're holding Tara in the house we owned in 1948. It's the house she was born in."

"Of course," Dad said darkly. "It'd have the greatest possible emotional impact on her."

Emily nodded her head grimly, but there was a new fire in her eyes. I hoped her newborn hope wasn't premature.

"So…this is…good, right?" I asked, frowning. "We know where she is. Now we just have to get her, right?"

The look she gave me made me feel like the most naïve, inexperienced child on the face of the planet. I bristled, but was determined to keep my reaction from showing. I gazed back at her evenly. I would not give her the satisfaction of knowing that she'd offended me. Besides, I doubted that she much cared.

"It will hardly be that simple," she said in a demeaning tone, as though she were explaining something to a preschooler. "This is both good and bad for us. I know the area well, which will play to our advantage. However, there is a possibility that I will be recognized."

"You were that well-known?" Mom asked.

"Lillian – Tara's mother – was the mayor's daughter. Her marriage, and therefore her husband and his 'sister', as I pretended to be at the time, attracted a considerable amount of local attention, far more than William and I had prepared for." She looked at Grandpa Carlisle, who sat across from her. "We should leave as soon as possible. I'm afraid William is no longer our only problem."

"Indeed not," Dad said quietly.

I looked between him and Emily, waiting for someone to explain.

"Dahlia met with some of her contacts along the way and they told her that the Volturi are prepared to come and make an example of us if for no other reason than to quell the malcontent that's arisen lately. Apparently there's been quite a stirring in some circles because of their lack of action with the William situation."

"This is no time for an insurrection," Dad said with a brief glance towards Henry, Cael and Austin, who seemed to be listening with renewed intent.

"Indeed not," Rob said. "This is not the time to draw more attention to ourselves."

Marvellous. We were facing danger on three fronts now, and we weren't going to be able to avoid them forever. Emily was right, something had to be done.

"You're exactly right," Dad murmured, looking at me. Before anyone had to ask, he said, "Nessie mentioned that this is now a three-fold threat. We face danger no longer just from William, but from the Volturi and even from the humans. We have to act, and quickly. The Volturi could come at any time, as could the human authorities. However, the threat that we _can_ control now lies within our reach. After all, it is because of William that we also have the humans and the Volturi to contend with."

"But we've had this discussion before," Uncle Jasper said. "I am in favour of destroying him without delay like the majority of you," he said, his eyes cutting to Rebecca. I looked at her as well, and felt a swell of sympathy for her. She sat at the end of the table, her shoulders slumped. A tear ran down her cheek. "But we stand on perilous ground with the Volturi as it is. If we start to carry out justice – which is, as well recognize, their job – then we may damage our standing with them further. I have long been of the belief that the only reason that our passivity is the only reason they have not tried to rid themselves of us before. If we act now, it may seem in their eyes as though we are already taking their place, and given some of the talk that has arisen of late, it may not be the best course of action."

"You _should_ take their place," Cael muttered.

"Cael," Rob said firmly. "I won't say it again: Carlisle has no desire to take power, nor does anyone else in this family. The more you talk like that, the more danger you put us all in. Have you considered what position that sort of talk puts Tanya in?"

Cael looked at his mate. She met his eyes for a moment and then lowered her gaze.

"She is closely connected with this family. Do you suppose the Volturi would be contented simply to dispose of us when we have such steadfast alliances with covens like yours?"

Cael swallowed, his eyes narrowing. His arm tightened around Tanya.

"No, Aro, Caius and Marcus would get rid of anyone that might side with us or cause them future problems as well. That includes her."

Cael promptly stopped talking.

I exhaled quietly. _Please, for mercy's sake, take a hint, Cael…_ I thought. _We've had more than enough of the Volturi._

"I don't _care_ about Aro's _feelings_," Emily spat. "William made this personal the moment that he took Tara. This is none of Aro's concern."

"Yes it is," Ian said. "He's endangered vampiric anonymity, and it is for that reason that this is very much Aro's concern."

"So I'm to understand, then, that you'd rather _wait_?"

"Of course not," Ian said. "But he has no reason to hurt her at the moment, and acting hastily might prompt him to…" He swallowed, lowering his eyes. "Waiting is our best option, Ade."

"I am not going to sit back and let _him_ take even more lives," Emily hissed. "And I don't know why you would want to, either. You realize that the longer we stay, the longer he has to try and take Nessie, don't you?"

My blood went cold at the same time that the room went totally silent instantly.

"Emily's right," Mom said. "There's too much at stake. I'd rather take my chances with the Volturi than risk them taking Nessie and killing Tara."

"You're right, Bells, there's too much at stake," Jacob said. "We've got to go get a handle on this. Besides, this isn't the only family he's threatening."

I looked at him. He was twitching uneasily as he waited for someone to respond.

"You have a point," Rob said. "He's threatening La Push as well."

"We can salvage our reputation with the Volturi later. They're not the ones we have to worry about right now," Aunt Rose said. "We don't know yet what will happen with the Volturi. As much as it paints me to say this, I think Jacob is right, we have to worry about what _will_ happen instead of what _might_ happen."

I blinked and looked around to make sure that my ears hadn't deceived me. There was a beat of silence as everyone ogled her.

"Did Hell just freeze over?" Mom murmured in awe.

Dad and Uncle Emmett snorted.

Aunt Rose rolled her eyes with a sigh. "If we could focus on the topic at hand, please?"

Grandpa Carlisle smiled lightly and looked at Rob. "What is your opinion?"

Rob pursed his lips in thought.

"Rob," she said quietly.

He glanced at her.

"Please," she said, her ice-blue eyes pleading with him. "He has Tara."

He sighed and lowered his gaze to his hands. I watched him, hoping that for once he would side with Emily. I didn't relish the thought of having to live the next few weeks in constant terror of being kidnapped, and that was to say nothing of what William might do to Tara.

After a moment, he said, "I believe we should go. There's too much at risk for us to waver now. Tara needs us, and William will only create more havoc if we don't meet him head on."

"Amen," Uncle Emmett said. "We can worry about Aro and his minions later."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded. "We'll leave tomorrow."

Emily exhaled in relief. "We have a house near Yellowknife," she said quickly, the hope that shone in her eyes seeming to burn brighter. "We can stay there."

I tuned out as the conversation turned to planning. I sat at the table for a moment, twisting my wedding ring around my finger.

"Twenty says I can get five before you," Uncle Emmett said loudly to Uncle Jasper. I glanced at him and rolled my eyes. Of course he would find a way to make a joke out of this.

Uncle Jasper snorted. "Shall I remind you who taught you everything you know?"

"I wouldn't say _everything_," Uncle Emmett protested.

"Emmett! Jasper!" Grandma Esme hissed. "_Stop_! This is not funny!" She gestured subtly to Rebecca, who was sobbing quietly at the end of the table.

I winced at the look on Ajay's face.

"Ooh," Uncle Emmett said quietly. "That guy looks scary."

"Shut _up_!" Aunt Alice hissed.

"My apologies," Uncle Jasper said, sobering instantly. "We hadn't meant to cause you more distress with our foolish talk."

I frowned as I realized that Jacob was no where to be seen. He would usually have been betting right along with them. I rose and went upstairs to our room. There was an open backpack on the bed into which he was stuffing his belongings.

I froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat. I stared at him for a moment and then quietly asked, "What're you doing?"

He turned his head to look at me. "I'm going to head up to La Push tonight to talk to Sam. I know he wants this guy as badly as we do, but Emily just had the baby, so he's going to need some help with the preparations."

"She had the baby?" I asked, surprised and slightly stung. He hadn't said a word about it.

"Yeah, a few days ago. They're calling him Aaron." He paused and looked at me. "Do you um…do you want to come?"

"Oh, no," I said quickly. "I'd just get in your way. But uh…tell them congratulations for me."

His face fell slightly. "Sure, sure."

I looked away as I felt tears pricking my eyes. "Do you need help?"

He zipped his bag shut quickly. "Actually, I think I have everything I need. Thanks anyway." He slung it over his shoulder. "Bye, Nessie," he said as he walked past me.

Before I could stop myself, I caught his arm. "Jacob, wait."

He looked at me. His dark eyes were like bottomless pools of pain. "Yeah?" he said softly.

I tried to think of something to say. Finally, I released him and murmured, "Just be safe, okay?"

He attempted a smile. "I will." And then he was gone.

I sat down after a moment and exhaled. I had barely been sitting for thirty seconds when the door downstairs slammed open. "Guys!" Jacob hollered, alarm ringing in his voice.

My eyes widened. I flashed down the stairs to see Jacob holding a vaguely familiar vampire by the throat. He was snarling furiously as he tried to break Jacob's hold.

"Who is that?" I demanded.

"That's what I want to know!" Jacob said. "I found him skulking around the edge of the yard!"

"Adair!" Emily cried.

The vampire's red eyes flicked to her. He stopped snarling long enough to smile at her. "'Ello, darling. Miss me?"

Adair. Now I remembered. He'd been at my wedding, but he'd spent most of his time flirting with the other female attendees.

Rob raised an eyebrow at the vampire. "What're you doing here?" He glanced at Jacob. "You can let him go. He's really no threat."

"Well, I would beg to differ," Adair said, mildly offended.

"But that brings us back to the question of what it is that you're doing here," Ian said. "Not that it isn't nice to see you, of course," he added.

"I heard that you were trying to have a party without me," he said, pouting slightly.

"If by 'party' you mean rescuing Tara from a band of homicidal psychopaths, then yes, absolutely," Rob said sarcastically. I was confused by his tone. I'd thought Adair was a friend of his. And then I noticed the way he was looking at Emily.

"Who told you, exactly?" said Ian, although he was already looking at Cael, who was shifting uneasily, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Cael, of course."

Cael rolled his eyes. "Bloody brilliant, Adair," he muttered as Rob and Ian glowered at him.

Adair chuckled. "And I've brought company." He glanced out the open door. "Oi! Jules!"

Rob and Ian both flinched. The colour rose in Emily's cheeks. She looked accusingly at Adair again and punched his arm with a quiet growl. "Why would you bring _her_?"

I heard Uncle Emmett snickering quietly as Julianna appeared at the edge of the forest. "Nice one, Rob," he muttered. He was smacked by both Emily and Aunt Rose.

Julianna _was_ incredibly beautiful. She was tall, probably only an inch or two shorter than Tara and Aunt Rose, with mile-long legs and a flawless figure. Her silky brown hair was long and gently waved to the middle of her back. Her eyes, black with thirst, were set into a beautiful, perfectly-balanced face, and framed by impossibly long, dark lashes. In short, she looked like an earthbound goddess, even by vampire standards.

She crossed the lawn in under a second and then floated to Adair's side.

I noticed Aunt Rose shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye. If ever I had met a vampire to rival her beauty, it was Julianna.

Her face hardened as she caught sight of her ex's mate. "Emily," she said coolly.

"Julianna," she spat with equal disdain.

"Rob," she said, nodding to him. Her eyes softened as she looked at Ian. "Ian," she said tenderly. "I'm so sorry about Tara."

I almost gagged. This woman had some nerve. And which part of "married" didn't she understand?

Emily snorted. "Of course you are."

"All right, let's not cause a scene," Rob said quickly. "Well, let's get you two up to speed, then," he said, gesturing to Adair and Julianna.

"Watch out for your mates, sisters," Emily said loudly. "Julianna has a tendency to get around."

Julianna hesitated in the doorway for a moment and then kept walking.

Adair laughed unabashedly, although Cael, Henry and Austin tried to be a little more subtle about it. Even Ian smiled.

"Ade," Grandpa Carlisle said disapprovingly.

"I can't help it if it's true," she said haughtily.

"Are you going somewhere, Jake?" Mom said, changing the subject quickly. She frowned lightly, her eyes flicking from Jacob to me.

"I'm heading up to La Push tonight," he said. "I'm going to try to help Sam out a bit."

"Good," Grandpa Carlisle nodded. "We can pick you up on our way to Canada tomorrow." He looked at Emily. "Can you direct us once we're across the border?"

She nodded. "I know my country like the back of my hand."

"Does William?" asked my grandfather.

The very name sent an icy shiver down my spine.

"Not as well," she said with a slightly smug expression. "He's spent most of his time in South America and Europe."

"But he'll know Yellowknife?"

"Yes."

"Let's just hope you know it better," I said, looking at her. My life depended on it, as did everyone else's.

"We'll be leaving early," Grandpa Carlisle said to Jacob. "Also, I would appreciate it if you would call once you've spoken to the packs, just so we can confirm that we will have their support."

"Of course." He looked at me once more, and then left the house, shutting the door behind him.

I felt his absence immediately. I watched as he crossed the yard to the edge of the forest and then began to run. I sighed.

"Ajay, you mentioned that you have some friends that might be willing to help?" Grandpa Carlisle said.

I looked at Ajay, mildly surprised. I hadn't thought that he'd be terribly interested in helping us, especially considering that our problems had almost cost him and his mate their lives last year.

He nodded. "I believe there are a few that I could persuade."

"We would be very grateful," Grandpa Carlisle said sincerely.

"We can leave for India tonight and meet you in Yellowknife by tomorrow," he said, glancing at Rebecca.

She shook her head slightly. "I'm staying."

He paused. "What?" He glanced at us, his mistrust evident in his crimson gaze. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. _Come on, he's known us for two years now, and he still thinks we're dangerous?_

"They'll need to know as much as I can tell them about Father as he is now. Plus, Ade and I still have to give everyone an idea of what to expect when we…" She trailed off.

Emily stepped forward and touched his arm. "She'll be all right with us. We won't let him touch her."

He thought for a moment, and then nodded unhappily.

"I'll see if we can get some of the other Canadians with us," Ian said.

"Do you have to?" Emily asked uneasily. "You'd be safer with us."

He half-smiled. "I need something to do, Ade. I'm going to go stir-crazy if I stay here much longer."

"I'll go with you," Julianna said, reappearing in the doorway.

Ian hesitated. "Uh…"

"I don't think so. My brother's never been particularly fond of the company of lecherous hags," Emily said coldly.

"Ooh," Uncle Emmett winced.

"Emily!" Grandma Esme admonished.

"Oh, I don't know," Julianna retorted coolly, giving Emily a purposeful look. "It doesn't seem like it's ever troubled him in the past, or Robin, for that matter. He certainly seems to have a habit of falling in love with lecherous hags, doesn't he, Emily?" Julianna retorted.

"You'd know more about that than me," Emily snapped.

Rob sighed and bowed his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He mouthed a sarcastic "thank you" to Adair, who was roaring with laughter.

I cringed and decided to leave the house before Julianna could get her response in. I could now understand why they'd avoided each other at my wedding. I wandered across the lawn and shivered slightly as a cold northern wind slipped its icy fingers beneath the collar of my shirt. November was waning, and winter was almost at hand. Already the temperature was dropping rapidly, and according to Aunt Alice, it was only going to get colder. _And now we're going to the Arctic,_ I thought. I didn't relish the thought of going even farther north for the winter.

I continued to wander the yard, but remained in sight of the house. I didn't want to risk isolating myself from everyone else again, especially not with William out to get me.

I sat down on the cold grass and glanced at the characteristically grey sky. I closed my eyes and sighed. It was so rare to find a moment of quiet where my family was concerned.

The word 'family' instantly took my mind to a place that I had been forbidding it to go.

Jacob.

With each passing day, I felt him slipping farther and farther away from me. That reality was a constant, growing ache in my heart that would not be suppressed, no matter how I tried to distract myself. I could spend a thousand serene moments alone, away from every reminder of him that I had, but I knew that it would never quiet the throbbing that radiated from my chest. Perhaps if Jacob and I had met the traditional way, I would be able to forget him. But he had been a part of my life for as long as I had had life, and as our relationship slowly died, it was as though a part of me was dying with it.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there when I heard light vampiric footsteps approaching. My heart began to quicken as I instinctively feared the worst. My eyes popped open, and I was relieved to see that it was only Aunt Rose walking towards me.

"Dinner's ready," she informed me.

I blinked. Dinner? How long had I been sitting here? I glanced at the sky to get a read on the time. Sure enough, the westbound sun was now low in the sky, turning the forest grey with its dying rays.

"Come on," Aunt Rose said, guiding me back to the house. I followed obediently, my eyes locked on the frost-encrusted grass as it crunched beneath my designer shoes. I felt my aunt's eyes on me as we walked. I heard her sigh quietly.

I knew I wasn't behaving myself, and I knew that it was worrying her. But how could I act like myself when I didn't even feel like myself?

"Has Ian left?" I inquired.

"Yes. He and Julianna left some time ago. They'll meet us at the Canadian border."

After a subdued dinner, – which was unusually delicious, even by my father's standards – we all trekked back out to the frigid, night-darkened field to recommence training. Emily and Rebecca instructed alongside Rob and Uncle Jasper this time, filling us in on what their father had taught them about combat, and how we would use it to kill him and his followers.

"He favours throat-attacks," Emily said. "Make sure you keep your neck protected, and keep your eyes moving. He is very fond of attacking whilst his target is at its most vulnerable – when they're distracted."

I tried valiantly to pay attention, but my mind was as distant as it had been that morning. I couldn't seem to make myself focus on what they were teaching, despite my father's chiding.

When the session ended, the vibrant red and orange glow of breaking dawn was just appearing over the treetops.

"Is it going to be sunny today, Alice?" Uncle Emmett asked uneasily as we all gazed at the oncoming sunlight. Already, all of the vampires in my family were glowing slightly.

"It'll cloud over around eight," she said. "So if we have Nessie, Rebecca and Ade drive until we get to La Push to pick up Jacob, we should be fine."

The words _we should be fine _had never sounded so strange under the circumstances. Aunt Alice seemed to realize this, and softly added, "In terms of driving, anyway. And before anyone asks, no, I can't see anything farther than this morning, and even that took some doing."

"Well, there isn't a moment to lose," Grandpa Carlisle said.

I took Mom, Grandpa Carlisle, Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme in my car while everyone else divided themselves between Emily and Rebecca's cars. The drive to La Push was intolerably long. It was almost nine when we arrived, and as promised, the sun was tucked securely behind a thick wall of ashy-grey clouds.

Jacob met us at the border, flanked by Seth, Quil, Leah and Embry. My heart twisted and fluttered at the same time as I looked at him. I got out of the car and walked over to him. He pursed his lips and avoided my gazed. He looked to Grandpa Carlisle instead.

"Sam's just briefing the troops," he said. I flinched at his choice of words. "He'll be along in a second."

"Good," Grandpa Carlisle nodded. As he spoke the words, Sam and his pack strode towards us. My eyes widened as I counted them. My eyes scanned over them once, twice and then again. Counting Sam, there were fifteen of them in total. Including Jacob and his four, the wolves numbered nineteen – two more than there had been the last time I'd checked. Yet again, this was a detail that Jacob had failed to mention.

"Carlisle and I will do the talking," Rob said quietly to Emily. She made an irritated noise, but did not protest.

I half-smiled. She hadn't made the greatest impression on Sam the last time that they'd spoken.

He and my grandfather stepped forward. "We are indebted to you once more," Grandpa Carlisle said.

He bowed his head and looked at Rob with confusion.

"This is Robin Stanton, the leader of the Winter coven," Grandpa Carlisle informed him. "I don't believe you've met."

"No," Sam said.

"Rob, this is Sam Uley," he said.

"A pleasure," Rob said. "As Carlisle has conveyed, we are honoured and grateful that you have elected to help us."

"William's not just your problem," Sam said. "We're helping ourselves as much as we're helping you."

"Of course," Rob said. "And vice versa." He looked at the pack for a moment. "An impressive array."

"Thank you," Sam replied.

"Are they all coming?" he inquired.

Sam glanced over his shoulder. "All except our five newest. They're staying behind to defend La Push." His eyes roved over our family. His eyes grew cold when they met mine, and then kept moving. He looked at Grandpa Carlisle. "Who're your, er, friends?"

"They are acquaintances of Rob's, actually," he said.

Rob waved them forward. I glanced over my shoulder. Cael, Tanya, Austin and Henry hesitantly moved forward, their eyes wary as they took in the wolves' numbers.

"This is Cael Shane. I believe you already know his mate, Tanya." Several of the older wolves growled quietly. "Beside her is Austin Klein, and Henry Cavanaugh," Rob said. "They will be joining us in our stand against William."

"Well let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Uncle Emmett said from behind me.

I grimaced, fearing what he might say.

With his characteristically carefree grin, he said, "It's simple. All you have to do is kill 'em."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

It was noon when we met Ian at the border. He had two vampires with him. I recognized them as Evan Cameron and his mate Kamaria (or Kam, as she preferred to be called) from my wedding.

Emily's face fell. "That's all?"

Ian sighed and nodded. "I spoke to six others, but no one wanted to get involved in yet another Volturi matter, not given the circumstances."

Who could blame them? The Volturi hadn't heard of the Winters until they'd gotten involved with us. What was to stop them from taking a special interest in anyone that decided to side with us? If the Volturi knew that their sympathy was with us, it could place them in a very precarious position.

"Thank you for coming," Emily said to the two.

Evan nodded his head. "We're glad to help. William certainly hasn't been doing us any favours."

"The murders in Seattle have gone international," Kam continued. "It's made it even harder for us to hunt subtly."

I shivered involuntarily.

"We really do appreciate the risk you are taking," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"Anything for our friends," Kam said, smiling at the Winters, and then at us.

I went with Emily, Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice for the second half of the trip. Ours was the second car to leave the border. We followed Ian, Rob and Jacob's car for several hours before we stopped at a rest stop outside of Jasper National Park, to everyone's amusement, to refuel and get something to eat. I stayed at the car with Uncle Jasper while Emily and Aunt Alice went to get food.

"Shall I get you something, Nessie?" Emily asked.

"No thank you," I said, still adequately nourished from yesterday's blood packet.

"Do you want anything, Jazz?" Emily asked. "Some type-J, maybe?"

She and Uncle Jasper chuckled wickedly. Aunt Alice rolled her eyes.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at my uncle. "What exactly did the two of you do to J. Jenks?"

He glanced at me with a slight smile. "Some things are better left unexplained."

"I'd be sorry I asked, wouldn't I?" I asked him.

"Probably."

I shook my head. Well, it could have been worse. I could only imagine what would have happened to our poor, abused lawyer if Uncle Emmett had gone with Uncle Jasper in Emily's stead. Or, worse yet, if all three of them had gone.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked casually.

I looked at him quickly. "What do you mean?"

"You've been very tense lately."

I turned my head as I rolled my eyes. "Did my dad put you up to this?"

"No."

I sighed. "I'm fine. It's just relationship stuff."

He half-smiled. "I'll mind my own business," he said.

Thank goodness there was _one_ person in my family capable of taking a hint.

Aunt Alice and Emily returned bearing sandwiches and water for herself and Jacob. Rebecca, like me, had declined food in the hopes of going for a hunt. I noticed that her eyes, usually brown, had darkened to an almost brown-black shade.

Once we got back on the road, Emily's good spirits vanished and she resumed her quiet, brooding and reclusive attitude.

"You should eat that," I murmured to her, gesturing to the unopened sandwich in her lap. She was staring out the window, her now darkened blue eyes betraying her hunger.

She looked at me and then looked away again. "I'm not hungry."

"Emily," Aunt Alice said quietly.

"Leave me alone, Alice," she snapped.

Aunt Alice sighed and looked at Uncle Jasper.

"Don't even think about it, Jasper," Emily muttered.

"What good are you going to be to Tara if you won't even take care of yourself?" I said.

She looked at me in surprise.

"I'll call Carlisle," Aunt Alice threatened.

Emily gave her an exasperated look and opened the package loudly. She took a bite, chewed it carefully, and then swallowed. "Are you happy now?"

"I'll be happy once you've consumed it."

She sighed and continued eating.

I toyed with my bracelet, thinking over what was to come. I frowned and looked at Emily, suddenly realizing something. "Wait, your father alters memories, right?"

She glanced at me briefly and took another bite. "Yes."

"So how do you know that he hasn't altered yours?"

After she had swallowed, she said, "I was never sure. Not until Irina and Kate arrived."

"What do they have to do with anything?" Uncle Jasper asked. I could see his furrowed brows in the rear view mirror.

"If he were capable of erasing my memories, he wouldn't have left one that would have prompted me to leave."

That was true. Well, that was of some comfort. "So why wouldn't it be effective?"

She shrugged. "Probably for the same reason that Alice's doesn't work with us."

"Because we're not full vampires?"

"Something along those lines. I don't particularly care to know the finer points of that man's twisted mind," she said bitterly.

I tried to get her off of the topic before it could sour her less-than-stellar mood any further. "So you mentioned something about him taking Tara to the house she was born in to increase the emotional impact."

"What about it?"

"What's the big deal with the house? What's so special about it?"

A miserable look twisted her expression into a grimace. "It's not the house so much as it is Lillian."

"Tara's mother?"

She nodded and reached into her purse. She withdrew her wallet, from which she pulled a small picture that looked like it had been black and white and then re-coloured.

I gasped.

The woman was absolutely breathtaking. Her face, which was beautifully balanced and perfectly proportioned, looked like it had been carved by the gods themselves. Her divine face was framed by shiny auburn curls. Her kind emerald eyes were exactly like Tara's, right down to the warmth they exuded. Her perfection was topped off by the beautiful smile that turned up the corners of her even, red lips.

With a mother this striking and a father as handsome as William, it was easy to see where Tara's stunning beauty came from. As Emily had said, Tara really did look a lot like her. She was truly the only woman I had ever seen that even remotely rivalled my Aunt Rose, and what was more remarkable was that she had been _mortal_.

"She's beautiful," was all I could say. "You'll never show this to Aunt Rosalie, right?" I murmured.

Emily half-smiled. "No."

I sat back. "So you said he loved her, right?"

"I believe so."

"Was she the only one he loved?"

"Probably. She was the only one which I ever suspected him of loving, at least." She looked back at the picture. She gave a quiet sigh. "On her deathbed, she made me swear to her that I would love and look after her child, that I would raise her if she could not. She, like your own mother, had hopes of surviving, and if there was a human that could have done it, it would have been Lillian. But I knew better. I knew better, and still I did not save her." A bitter edge returned to her voice.

"I'm sure you did everything you could," I murmured.

She gave me a hard smile. "I led her like a lamb to the slaughter. I was the one that chose her. The minute I pointed her out to William, she was as good as dead."

I wondered if there was a bottom to three hundred years worth of guilt. After an appropriate pause, I tried again. "I remember you saying something about venom and half breeds a few months ago. You said that it's painful, right?"

"Very," she said, shuddering delicately.

"How do you know?"

She smirked slightly and looked away. Colour appeared in her cheeks.

"Never mind," I said quickly. I had never seen Emily blush before, and whatever it was that was causing this incredible phenomenon was definitely not something that my innocent ears could handle.

She chuckled.

"No, no, I'm interested now. I don't think I've ever felt you feel embarrassment, Em," Uncle Jasper said, grinning.

"Yeah," Aunt Alice said. "I've never seen you blush before."

"Well–" Emily began.

"Tell them later!" I exclaimed. My cheeks felt like they'd been lit on fire, and then sprayed with gasoline. "I _so_ don't want to know this! Can we please keep this PG?"

Emily chuckled. "Alright, alright. It wasn't _that_ bad, anyway."

"Here's something I've been wondering," Aunt Alice said. "What's William's little…plan…got to do with Nessie?"

She sighed. "I'm not sure. I think he's probably just interested in studying her." She looked at me. "She's so different from us. It's like she's a different species altogether."

"Well I'm not _that_ different," I said, reddening again.

"I don't just mean physically. The way you've been raised, your parents, your lifestyle, your life in general, really…it's so different from the rest of us."

I blinked. I'd never thought of it that way, but it made sense. I still had a mother, for one thing. That alone must have been a fairly significant difference between me and other half-breeds.

My thoughts were distracted by Aunt Alice's phone. She flipped it open. "Hello, Carlisle." She was silent for a moment and then began to chuckle. "Yes, she did. She complained the entire time, but she did." There was another pause and Aunt Alice glanced at me. "I think she'd rather hunt."

"Reporting in to the authorities, are we?" Emily said coolly.

"Yes," Aunt Alice said unashamedly.

I smiled.

Emily muttered something darkly.

"If it's of any consolation, he's called everyone else's cars, too," Aunt Alice said as she hung up.

"Yes, I suddenly feel much better," Emily said dryly.

I tuned out their bantering and leaned my head against the seat, closing my eyes and exhaling. I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, we were stopped at another rest stop.

"Where are we?" I asked, shivering as I got out of the car.

Emily, who I now noticed was wearing a parka, held a second coat out to me. "We're about half an hour outside of Grande Prairie."

I blinked as I pulled the blessedly-warm coat on. Not even my extra body heat was enough to counteract the cold air to which I was so unaccustomed. It scarcely ever got this cold in any of the places that I'd lived, and I'd only ever been to Alaska during the summer. "We're already in Alberta?"

She half-smiled. "You've been asleep a while. We're stopping for food."

"What time is it?"

She glanced at the sky. "About seven o'clock, I should think." She glanced over her shoulder warily at the same time as I heard the shimmering sound of dozens of bodies transforming from wolves into humans.

"I'll see you inside," she said, walking briskly towards the restaurant glowing with an assortment of neon signs on the other side of the gas pumps.

Jacob was the first to appear from the brush. His black hair was wet with melted snow and his bare chest was slick with it. I looked away quickly, trying not to notice. This was no time to be dazzled.

Too late.

"Hey, Loch Ness," Seth grinned as he ambled towards me.

"Hi," I murmured simply as I waited for my head to start working again. It took me a moment to be taken aback by Seth's pleasant mood. I could already feel Leah's accusing, hateful eyes boring into me. But her brother seemed completely nonchalant in my presence, despite what was happening with Jacob and me.

He laughed suddenly as Aunt Alice handed him a winter coat. "Alice, what do I need this for?" he asked, looking down at it as though she'd handed him a child's toy.

"_You_ may not think it's weird to walk half-clothed around a gas station in November in northern Canada, but I assure you, that will not be the humans' impression," she said got more coats out of the trunk and passed then out to the rest of the pack.

Embry whistled softly. "Who is _that_?" he asked, nodding towards the petrified cluster of the Winter's friends. I heard several other appreciative murmurs come from the other wolves. "For a leech, she's freaking _hot_!"

"Julianna," I said. I didn't have to look to know immediately who they were marvelling at. "Rob's ex."

"His _ex_?" Embry stammered. "That's Angry's _ex_?"

"Ex what?" Seth asked. "Supermodel?"

I smiled at their nickname for Rob. They secretly differentiated between Ian and Rob by calling them Tall and Angry respectively.

"Why would he let someone like her go?"

"Emily?" Aunt Alice pointed out.

"Oh," Embry said. "Right. She's fine, too."

"I'm glad to know you approve of my taste in women," Rob said from behind him, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Embry, completely unabashed, turned to smile at him. "Hey, Ang – uh, Rob"

"Hello," Rob said, raising an eyebrow.

"So when did your hot girlfriend get here?"

"Ex-girlfriend," he qualified quickly. "She got here two days ago."

"Is she single?" Seth grinned.

I rolled my eyes.

"Believe me, my friends, you don't want to go there," Rob said. "Also, she's rather smitten with my brother."

I laughed at Seth and Embry's crestfallen expressions.

Rob looked at Aunt Alice and me suddenly. "Come on. We – well, Nessie, – should eat quickly and then we must get back on the road."

"How far is it to Yellowknife from here?" Aunt Alice asked as we walked.

"Ten hours."

"_Ten_?" I squeaked.

He half-smiled. "Welcome to Canada. It'd be fifteen if we drove according to the speed recommendations."

Aunt Alice laughed. "I believe they are actually considered laws, Rob."

He snorted dismissively.

"He has more speeding tickets than a cop," Ian muttered, falling into step with us.

"And remind me who bails me out every time?" Rob shot back.

Ian had no reply.

I entered the restaurant and smiled at the humans' amazed expressions as they took us all in. I doubted that they'd ever seen so much beauty – or so much danger, unbeknownst to them – in one room.

The two bands of immortals instantly polarized upon entering the restaurant. The werewolves took the right side while the vampires took the left. I went with Jacob and the wolves, taking a seat in a fake leather booth with Jacob and Embry. Quil, Seth, Paul and Leah sat on the other side.

"So, Uncle Jake," Paul said, leaning back in his booth and lacing his fingers together behind his head. "Aren't you glad we're going to be even more closely related soon?"

"Let me see…_no_," Jacob shot back.

Paul laughed, as did the rest of the pack – except for Leah. She was still shooting daggers at me. I tried to ignore this fact and managed a smile.

"Aw, come on, Jake. Look on the bright side. At least this means the kid will be pretty, right?" Paul said, gesturing to himself.

Jacob shuddered.

"It's okay, I know you're happy deep down," Paul grinned.

"You keep thinking that," Jacob griped, and then muttered something about him being equally happy about global warming and world hunger beneath his breath.

"What about you, Nessie?" Paul said. "'You excited to be an aunt?"

"Yeah, sure," I smiled.

Leah made a disgusted sound.

"Shut up, will you?" Jacob snapped.

I looked at him in surprise, as did everyone else. He sighed heavily and toyed with the menu.

A waitress arrived then, interrupting our conversation. "Can I get you s-s-something to eat?" she stammered as she stood at the head of our table. She was a tall, stocky girl with thick glasses, from which large brown eyes eyed the pack with awe. "Our special of the day is poutine."

"What's poutine?" Jacob asked, frowning.

"It's a Canadian specialty," Emily said, appearing out of nowhere.

The waitress flinched in surprise, and then turned her head to look at Emily in amazement.

"Mind if I join you?" Emily asked me, ignoring the awestruck woman's ogling. I was amazed again by how unaffected she was by humans' staring. It was something I'd not yet been able to accomplish yet. "Rob's feeling ill and he doesn't want me eating in front of him." She looked back at me. I could see that she was trying very hard to ignore her fight or flight instincts. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all," I said, sliding down the bench closer to Jacob.

"Thank you." She took her seat beside me. Her fingers curled around the edge of the wooden table and gripped it tightly, although her face was carefully arranged into a casual expression.

The waitress was staring at me now. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and tried not to look at her. "So what exactly is in poutine?"

Emily smiled – something I hadn't seen her do in days. "It's French fries with gravy and cheese curds. It's a very popular dish here."

"No kidding, because it sounds _awesome_!" Quil said. "Let's go with that."

Emily glanced at the waitress. "Eight orders of poutine, please."

The woman continued to stare for a few moments before she realized she was doing it, and then scurried away to fulfill our order.

"So," said Embry. "You're a Canadian."

Emily looked at him. "Yes."

"You don't sound like a Canadian."

"I was raised largely in England."

"So that's why you've got an accent," Seth nodded. "I always wondered about that."

"How old are you, then?" Embry inquired.

"Haven't you heard it's impolite to ask a woman her age?" she retorted.

"Fifty?" Embry guessed.

"No, no, I say a hundred," Quil said.

"I say ninety," Seth put in.

"I don't know, I'm thinking seventies myself," Paul said. All four studied Emily closely.

I half-smiled. They had no idea how far off they were.

Emily mirrored my smile. "I'll be three hundred and five in a month's time."

I laughed at their dumbstruck expressions.

"You are _old_, Scary Eyes," Embry said.

"'Scary Eyes'?" she asked questioningly.

"Yep," Quil said unrepentantly.

I chuckled and looked at Emily. "So why are you actually eating with us?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, obviously the issue wasn't that Rob was feeling sick."

"Well, in a manner it is. He abhors the smell of human food. He can't abide it." She chuckled and glanced over her shoulder towards their table. I followed her gaze. I was surprised to see that Rob was in the midst of a conversation with Julianna.

Emily sighed. "I don't know how he stands her."

I looked at her. "You really don't like her, do you?"

She smiled grimly. "It's not jealousy that makes me dislike her so. I know my husband better than to suppose that I have anything to worry about in that department." She looked at me in a way that made it obvious that she was not merely speaking about her relationship. "I would gladly make known the true reason for my hatred of her was it not for Rob's…chivalry."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

She sighed. "You know that Rob and Julianna were together for a while."

"Fifteen years," I nodded.

Her mouth twisted into a distinctly unhappy expression. "Yes. And you and just about everyone else knows how Julianna feels for Ian."

"Yes."

"Well, suffice it to say that her feelings for Ian did not develop after her relationship with Rob had concluded."

My eyes widened. I looked back at the other table. "Wait, she _cheated_ on Rob?"

"No. Ian would never participate in something like that. He wouldn't hurt Rob that way, but heaven knows she tried to persuade him to. I don't know how long she'd been with Rob when she decided that she had fallen in love with Ian, but from what I've been told by both Rob and Ian, it can't have been too far into the relationship. It was obvious to everyone except Rob. He loved her deeply, and it made him blind. I have no doubt that she reciprocated his feelings at first, but she didn't have the decency to be honest with him when her feelings changed. I could have forgiven her well enough for that. But she dragged things on with him for years, supposing that he was her key to achieving her true prize."

"And Rob had no idea that she was using him?" I asked, horrified.

"For more than a decade, no, although he began to suspect her, at which point he began trying not to notice." Her blue eyes were furious as she stared at the table. "She finally admitted it one day. It utterly destroyed him. It took him years to recover."

"And you," I said.

She gave another small smile. "I'd like to think I was something of a help, yes."

I shook my head. "That's so horrible. I can't believe that she would do that to him."

Emily's smile became hard. "It becomes far more believable the more that you get to know her."

"So he just made up that story about her not wanting to come to North America, then," I realized.

"No, that part was true," she said. "Rob asked her to go with them, hoping that she would change her mind, but she didn't want to leave Europe. She knew Ian was furious with her, so she saw no point in following them."

"Did he make up the part about them parting ways amicably?"

"No," she said bitterly. "Unfortunately, that part is also true. No, Rob's forgiven her for everything. He doesn't even hold the fact that she tried to cheat on him with his own _brother_ against her. He considers her as much his friend now as he always did. The one grudge that I wish he would hold, he completely disregards. He says that he can't hold her at fault for her feelings. He just defends her whenever I bring it up. It's sickening."

Yet again, Rob had proved himself to be a better person that I'd thought.

My stomach twisted guiltily. I'd been among those teasing him and harassing him for information about her. I felt like a jerk.

"I would appreciate it if you could keep this quiet," she said. "As it is, he'd be furious if he knew that I had told you. He doesn't want anyone to think poorly of her because of the past. It's why he won't let me tell everyone."

"Of course," I said. I looked at her for a moment, and then cast a quick glance at Jacob, who was talking to Seth. "But…if you know that Rob's loved someone else, how can you be sure that he'll never feel that way about her, or someone else like her, again?"

She looked at me again with the expression that I so hated. It made me feel so naïve, so young. "Because of three simple words that he's said to me every day for more than forty years, even on days that we spend angry with each other. Because he says them to _me_ and not to her or other people like her."

I thought about that for a moment. "But…how do you know that that won't change?"

"He promised when we got married that he would only ever love me. I trusted him then and I trust him now. I choose to believe that he's being honest himself and with me when he tells me that he loves me."

"But all you have is his word," I pointed out.

"That's all I need."

I wrestled with that until the poutine arrived moments later. I folded my hands in my lap and inspected the dish the waitress set in front of me.

Frankly, it looked like a mess. French fries were hanging over the edge of the plate, and the fries and curds were nearly swimming in gravy.

"Don't judge it yet," Emily said, detecting my scepticism. "Try it first."

"I'd much rather hunt," I said.

"Of course you would. You're a parasite," Leah muttered.

I looked at her and swallowed.

Jacob slammed his fist into the table, making everyone's plates – and me – jump. "Shut _up_, Leah!" Jacob snarled. "I am sick and tired of your snide comments! Just keep your mouth shut!"

"Was that an order, boss?" she shot back sarcastically. "Why do you keep defending her when she only makes your life miserable?"

I lowered my eyes.

"The only person making my life miserable right now is _you_," Jacob hissed. "So keep your comments about my wife and my business to yourself. No one asked you."

Leah glowered at him and then rose and left the restaurant.

"I'm sorry, Jacob," I whispered, breaking the awkward silence that she'd left in her wake.

"Don't apologize for _her_," he sighed. "She doesn't know when to butt out."

"Never has," Seth sighed.

Embry laughed. "That's Leah for you."

"I thought her mood towards you had improved," Emily said.

"Oh, it did. For a while." _And then I went and hurt Jake again_, I added mentally.

"Whoa!" Embry exclaimed, his mouth still full with his first bite of poutine. "This stuff is amazing!"

I gazed back at my plate. I picked up a cheese-and-gravy-covered fry and ate it.

"Well?" Emily asked.

"It's good," I admitted.

She looked contented with my answer. "It's one of Tara's favourites." She lowered her eyes, her grip on the table tightening so that it shook the entire table.

"It'll be okay," I said. "We'll get her back, and then it will seem like the past four months never even happened."

She slowly turned her head to look at me. "The past _four_ months? What do you mean?"

I froze, realizing my mistake.

"Renesmee, what are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice dangerously quiet.

I cleared my throat and pretended to scrutinize the sleeve of my jacket. "Did I say four? I meant two."

Emily's gaze became more suspicious. "You're lying to me. Why?"

I closed my eyes and braced for her rage.

"Tell me the truth, Renesmee," she snapped coldly. "Don't make me force it out of you."

"Hey, ease up a little," Jacob said warningly.

"It was a slip of the tongue," I said quickly.

Emily shot to her feet. "Tell me the truth!" she hissed.

The restaurant fell entirely silent. I looked over the back of my booth to see Dad grimacing. He walked over to us and touched her arm. "We'll discuss this outside," he said.

"You're damn right we will," she said, glaring at him with such ferocity that he actually took a step back. She stormed out of the restaurant.

I looked at Dad and grimaced. "I'm sorry. I slipped."

"It's alright," he assured me. "She would have found out eventually."

"Well, let's get this over with," Jacob said.

I got out of the booth, Jacob following. He turned to look at the pack expectantly.

"You know, I think I'm good here," Paul said.

"Me too," Embry said.

"Yeah," Quil agreed.

"Good luck," Seth said sympathetically.

Jacob and I exchanged glances, and then we both rolled our eyes.

We joined Emily on the far side of the restaurant parking lot, away from where prying human ears might catch something. She was pacing like a caged bull near the road when we arrived, with the rest of the family arriving shortly thereafter.

"One of you, spit it out," she demanded. "Or I _will_ use my gift on you."

Ian searched our faces in confusion. "What's going on? What's wrong? Emily?"

"I'd like to know that myself," she said.

I pursed my lips and kept my eyes on the ground.

"No?" Emily said when no one spoke. "Fine. Renesmee!" she barked.

I glanced at her quickly, and instantly regretted it. Her ice-coloured eyes took on an unnerving intensity as she called upon her gift. "Tell me what happened."

Against my will, I head myself say, "Rebecca has suspected since she and Ajay got back that William was still in Canada."

Emily stopped dead. She rounded on Rebecca. "You thought he was here the whole time and you never said a _word_?"

"I'm sorry," Rebecca said, grimacing. "But Ajay and I agreed that it would be a bad idea, and so did Carlisle when we told him."

"You told _all_ of them, but not me?"

"No one told _me_," Ian pointed out, his face still paralyzed into an unblinking expression of pure shock. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked Rob.

"Wait, _you_ knew about this?" Emily said, anger intensifying in her eyes. "So you've known about this since September, and you didn't tell me?"

That surprised even me. I hadn't even known that Rob was in on it.

"Rebecca asked all of us not to say anything," Aunt Alice said remorsefully.

"_How could you keep this from me_?" she raged.

"I was asked to keep it to myself," Rob said calmly.

She turned on Grandpa Carlisle now. "Explain!"

"Emily, Rebecca didn't want you to know," he said in a calm tone. "I would have told you immediately had she not requested that I keep it from you."

"And yet you told Rob!"

"As the leader of your coven, I felt he had a right to know."

"And as the daughter of the murdering lunatic in question, I don't?" She shook her head and looked away. "That's the real reason why we left Vancouver, isn't it."

"Yes," Grandma Esme admitted. "With what happened two years ago…" she began, and then shivered. "Em, we almost lost you. We didn't want you to do something foolish like that again."

"So you don't trust me!"

"Frankly, no," Rob said. "How can you expect us to?"

I pursed my lips as I realized that she wasn't the only one that that statement applied to. I'd been just as stupid as Emily during the last crisis. I saw Jacob glance at me out of the corner of my eye.

"I thought that they were coming for me," she snapped.

"Even though we told you otherwise."

"Okay, but why did no one tell me?" Ian asked.

"Because you would have told Tara, and with her telepathy…" Aunt Rose said, avoiding Emily's glower. "We simply couldn't take that risk."

"Well isn't this fantastic," Emily whispered. "Because you did not see fit to trust me with this, my sister is now being held prisoner and could very well die." She looked at Rob, and then at the rest of us. "If she dies because of this…I will _never_ forgive you." She spun on her heel and stormed away from us, disappearing into the trees.

We all remained very quiet for a long time.

"She's right," Aunt Rose said. "I hate to say it, but if we had told her, maybe she would have been more prepared and she would have been able to help us prevent this."

"And now she's going to blame herself," Rob said with a heavy sigh.

I did not envy his position. But then again, I had to spend the next ten hours in a car with her.

"But think about what might have happened if we _had_ told her," Uncle Jasper said. "She could be dead right now."

Rob flinched.

"Or in captivity with Tara," Aunt Alice put in.

"Yes, or things could have happened exactly as they have," Rebecca said. "We don't know what would have happened. I maintain that it was the right thing to do."

"Regardless of what may have happened, the priority now is what _has_ happened," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Tara is still alive, and I believe that our efforts and attentions should be focused on her right now. We will all have to be understanding of Emily for the next while, but we must maintain our focus. She will understand that, and I know that she wants the same. We are still half a day away from Yellowknife, and the longer we discuss this, the longer it will take for us to reach her, and the longer we take to reach her, the longer William has to try to extricate whatever it is that he wants from her. So if for her sake, let us be swift so we can put all of this behind us."

I nodded in agreement.

"You're right," Mom said. "Come on, let's get to the cars."

"I'll talk to the pack," Jacob said.

The tension in the air was heavy as Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper and I waited in the car for Emily's return. When she finally did join us in the car, she was escorted by Ian. She got in and slammed the door after her, causing the entire car to shudder. She spoke not a word as she fastened her seat belt.

"Em-" Aunt Alice began to say gently.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me," Emily snarled.

Silence filled the car. After a moment, Uncle Jasper pulled out onto the highway after Jacob, Rob and Ian. And thus began the longest ten hours of my life.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

It was mid-afternoon the following day when we reached the Winters' house, but the sky was still black – typical of a northern winter's day. It was a remote, colossal arctic mansion, perched on the crest of a snowy plateau overlooking a frozen lake below. It was three storeys high and had the same elegant design as their home in Vancouver.

By the time all of the cars had been parked in the garage adjacent the house, the pack had arrived and phased back into their human forms. Rob and Ian arranged rooms for everyone while Emily set to work making food for the pack. Aside from Ian, they were the only ones to whom she would speak.

Jacob and I were given a room in the basement, which was where I had a sneaking suspicion they would also be keeping the packs.

Jacob tossed his backpack in the corner of our room and sighed, flicking the light on as he entered. It was large, naturally, with an en-suite bathroom. It was modest in decoration, but effortlessly tasteful just the same.

"I'll just brush my teeth and then I'll be out of your way," Jacob promised.

I hesitated. "You um…don't have to do that."

He looked at me. "Okay. I can brush somewhere else, I guess." He turned his head away from me, but not before I saw pain flicker across his face.

"No, I mean you don't have to…leave," I said.

He slowly turned back to face me. His dark eyes scrutinized my expression carefully. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said, my mind racing to invent an excuse to keep him here. "We've both been travelling all day. I'm sure you're exhausted. There's no reason why you should have to sleep on a couch. You need your rest too."

He nodded, but I saw his face fall slightly. That clearly hadn't been the answer he'd been hoping to hear. "Oh. Well, thanks, I guess."

I nodded. "Sure, sure."

I took longer than usual to get myself ready for bed. I wanted to maximize the amount of time I would have with him while I was conscious. Having him near almost made me feel relieved, as though some part of me had been slowly suffocating during his absence. Yes, that was exactly what it felt like. It felt like I was breathing again.

Jacob was already under the covers when I left the bathroom. I climbed in beside him, and then, without hesitating and thereby giving myself a chance to talk myself out of it, I leaned over and gave him a very safe peck on the cheek.

His eyes flew open in surprise.

"Good night," I said quietly, almost melting then and there.

He continued to gape at me as I turned off the light on the night table on my side of the bed. I lay down facing away from him, and closed my eyes. _Don't lose your head,_ I told myself. _This issue is far from resolved._ I sighed and arranged my pillow until it was comfortable. I was glad for the extra warmth that the nearness of Jacob's body provided. The air was so cold here.

He tossed and turned for a while before finally giving an irritated sigh and snapping his light back on.

I rolled over to look at him, confused. He was sitting up, his hands curling and uncurling in his lap. His face was scrunched up with confusion and irritation, his dark eyebrows pulled together.

"What's the matter?" I prompted.

This was all the encouragement that he needed. "What's the matter? You tell me that you don't believe that I love you, you accuse me of cheating with _Leah_–" He shuddered visibly at this. "–you tell me that you want a break, and then you do _that_?"

"Do what?" I asked.

"_Kiss me_! I don't get you, Nessie! You're sending me so many mixed signals!"

I winced, realizing how unfair I'd been.

"I mean, if you're mad, then be mad. Clearly there's nothing that I can say or do to convince of how I feel about you. If you want to make up, even better. But can you please, for the love of all that's holy, stop playing with my fricking head?" He was breathing heavily by the time he'd finished.

I sat up slowly and crossed my legs, tucking a stay piece of hair behind my ear. I toyed with my ring and counted to thirty to allow him some time to calm down. Once his breathing was normal, I looked up at him. "Jacob, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't fair to you. The truth is I miss you. A lot. But I don't know if that changes anything."

He buried his face in his hands, his fingers locking in his short black hair. He dropped his hands after a moment and then slowly pulled off his wedding ring. He held it out to me.

My breath caught. Ice flooded my veins, paralyzing me with shock.

"If this is what you want, then take it. I won't interfere with you or anyone else that you meet normally. You can forget all about me, if that helps. You can forget I ever lived. I just want you to chose, because I don't think I can handle this toxic game we've got going for much longer. So please, make a choice." He studied me, carefully gauging my expression.

I closed my eyes. This was not fair. It wasn't fair that I was forcing Jake through Hell because of my own insecurities, especially not after my mother had done the same thing less than a decade earlier. Why should he be constantly subjected to so much pain and suffering at the hands of the women he loved?

But how could I ignore a question so pivotal to our whole relationship? How could I ignore the sick feeling that I got in my stomach when I thought about how quickly he'd been able to move on in the past? Yes, it was petty, pathetic and childish to be so possessive of him, like I was a jealous toddler and he was some kind of cherished toy that I felt the need to protect, but he was so much more to me than that. Jacob had never just been a friend or a boyfriend or a fiancé or a husband. He was my greatest source of support. He was the best and biggest part of my world. He was my best friend, the person to whom I was closest. He was the better half of my heart. But I couldn't ignore the facts.

I knew all that he wanted was to make me happy. That was what I wanted for him, too, and if there was a chance that he could find happiness with someone else, I knew that someday, somehow, I would have to find the strength to let him go. It was precisely that thought that terrified me more than anything else. I would have gladly faced William, the humans and the Volturi all at once rather than have to live with the idea of losing Jacob.

I was painfully aware of Jacob's eyes on me as my mind worked. "Jake, that's just not a decision that I can make right now. I'm sorry. I just…I don't have an answer for you, not yet. There's a lot that I'm still trying to understand."

"You aren't trying to understand," he said. "You're looking for reasons not to believe me, and I don't understand why."

I closed my eyes and exhaled. I rose slowly and moved to the door. "I'll leave you so you can get your rest," I said over my shoulder.

I made my way up a winding oak staircase to the main floor. In the living room to the left of the front door was Emily, curled up on the couch and sulking with a most unattractive scowl. I hurried past her, avoiding her eyes.

There seemed to be a strategy session being held in the dining room. Rob, Ian, Grandpa Carlisle, Uncle Jasper and Rebecca sat around a glass table, a map laid out in front of them. They were so focused that only Grandpa Carlisle noticed me walk past. He gave me a small, strained smile. I could see fear in his dark gold eyes. He knew as well as I did how bad this was. Regardless of how many people the Winters managed to bring, we would not be as lucky this time as we had been in the past. We were dealing not only with newborns, but experienced vampires _and_ half-breeds. We would not all be coming home.

I swallowed as a lump of emotion formed in my throat, overcome with guilt as I realized that this was partially my fault. Why couldn't I have been normal? Then William would have had no reason to be interested in me.

I kept walking, unable to think about what it would mean if even one of us didn't survive. I turned the corner to find myself standing at the door of the room that was assigned to my parents. I cringed as I stood outside. Night time was always tricky. There was never a guarantee that they would be…fit for company, and I certainly didn't need something like that stuck in my head for the rest of eternity.

I raised my hand to knock when the door was suddenly opened by my father, who was smirking sheepishly, not doubt in response to my thoughts, but he was graceful enough not to comment. "Hello, darling," he said. "Do you need something?"

I thought for a moment. What was I doing, exactly? "I…uh…" I bit my lip as I tried to think of something on the spot.

Mom appeared behind Dad. "I think I can guess. Come in. We'll behave."

My cheeks burned, making both of my parents chuckle.

Mom sat down on the bed and patted a spot beside her. I sat where bade and sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "So Jacob has essentially offered me a divorce."

Both gaped at me, and then exchanged glances with each other. "_What_?" they spluttered at exactly the same time.

"Oh, Nessie," Mom sighed. "I knew you two weren't getting along, but I had no idea that it was so serious."

I pursed my lips to keep them from trembling.

"He actually told you that he wants a divorce?" Dad asked in disbelief.

"No, but he told me that if that was what I wanted, then he wouldn't get in my way, not even if I…met someone else."

"Have you?" Mom asked quietly.

I looked at her. "I think we both know that that will never happen." Jacob was the only being in the universe for me. I was as sure of that as I was of my own existence.

"Are you still upset over what Tara said?" Dad asked.

I shrugged.

"It's perfectly normal to have questions, even more so when you consider the supernatural element to your relationship," Dad said. "I would wonder, too, were it not for the fact that I understand his feelings perfectly." I'd thought he was referring to his gift, but then he looked at Mom.

"It's the imprinting part that gets you, isn't it?" she said.

I nodded.

"Yeah, it got me too. But if you could only see how he is now, when he's around you, and how he was before you were born. Your father's right, it's only natural for you to have questions about all of this, but don't let it drive a wedge between you."

I rubbed my forehead. "I can't help it!" I exclaimed. "I'm not as good with all of this otherworldly love stuff as you are, and I was born into it!"

She and my dad shared a smile.

I looked at them irately. "For the sake of my sanity, please don't get all sappy on me."

Dad gave me an impish look. "Right. Sorry." He paused, his brows pushing together. "You know how hesitant I am to share other's thoughts with anyone, but, well…let me simply say that Jacob wants this to work, Nessie. Desperately."

I lowered my eyes and nodded. "Me too," I whispered. "I just wish that I could know for sure." Tears pricked my eyes. I turned my head away quickly. I was not going to cry in front of my parents. I wasn't a kid anymore.

Mom touched my knee. "Do you want to get some air?"

I nodded again. She and I rose, and then both looked back at Dad when he didn't follow.

He frowned lightly. "Alice wants to speak to me, apparently. You go on."

"Alright," Mom replied.

We navigated our way through the house. The strategy session was still underway, but Rob was now missing. When we passed the living room, I saw that he had joined Emily. She had her face buried in the crook of his neck, her arms wrapped around his neck in a vice-like grip while he tenderly stroked her hair.

I dropped my eyes. Fantastic. Now the most tension-filled marriage in the whole family was doing better than mine and Jacob's.

The thought instantly made me feel guilty. Emily was going through enough without being at odds with Rob, too. _Just be happy for them_, I told myself. _Plus, it's always easier on everyone's hearing when they're on good terms. Besides, it's not like marriages are some kind of competition._

I was again shocked by how cold the air was when Mom opened the door. I'd been to Denali before, but that had been during the summer. It hadn't been nearly this cold. I felt like I'd walked straight into a deep freezer.

The snow crunched with each footstep, light as they were, as we crossed the large, snowy lawn and walked towards the trees that lined the ridge overlooking the road and the lake.

"It's kind of beautiful up here," Mom commented.

I looked around and nodded. As cold as it was, it really was picturesque.

We'd only been walking a short while when Mom inevitably returned to the subject of Jacob. "Nessie, honey, what's behind all of this?"

I frowned, completely taken off-guard. "What? Behind what?"

"All of this questioning stuff. Sure, you've always been curious, but I've never seen you this unsettled before, especially not about something that has to do with Jacob. It seems like it kind of came out of the blue."

"Dad hasn't told you?"

"No. You should now him better than that."

She had a point. With a heavy sigh, I told her everything. She was thoughtful enough not to be overbearingly maternal about the tears streaming down my face. As I spoke, her brows knitted together with concern. There was real pain in her eyes as she listened. By the time I had finished, she looked like she was on the verge of weeping herself. She shook her head and sighed. "Oh sweetheart. I knew there was something wrong, we all did, but I had no idea that your doubts ran so deeply. I wish there was some way that I could help."

"You have," I assured her. Listening really was all that she could do for me. I knew that his was something that I would have to work out on my own. "I just…I feel so guilty, Mom. I've put him through so much over the past few years."

"Seems to be a family thing," she said unhappily.

"Yeah."

"Nessie, it comes down to this: do you trust Jacob?"

"Yes. Mostly," I hedged.

"Mostly?"

"He's trustworthy for the most part."

"Yes or no."

I thought about that for a long time, which, in and of itself, was probably a bad sign. "No," I admitted very quietly. If I was being honest with myself, I really didn't.

"There's your problem." She looked at me through narrowed eyes for a moment. "Are you sure that the real issue here isn't that you're afraid that you don't love him?"

"No," I said automatically. That was like asking me if I was a half-breed, or if I was a Cullen. It was a part of my very being. "I know beyond a doubt how I feel and I know that things will never change for me."

"So why do you think that Jake doesn't?"

"It's not that I think he doesn't love me; I know he does. I know he does right _now_. But what if that changes someday? I mean, he was head-over-heels in love with you. He almost started a war because of how strongly he felt for you. And then I came along one day and suddenly you became irrelevant – within the span of a blink. How am I to know that that won't be me one day?"

"Because imprinting doesn't work like that. He never imprinted me. Trust me, I know."

I gave her a look. "Come on. We're not exactly a normal pairing, not even by mythological standards. I'm a half-_vampire_, for heaven's sake. We're supposed to be eternal enemies. What if none of the standard rules apply? There're no guarantees that imprinting works the same way with half-vampires." I wondered if there were really any guarantees at all in a supernatural relationship.

Mom was frowning again when I looked back at her. "What?" I asked defensively.

"It seems to me like you're almost _trying_ not to believe him."

My jaw dropped. "What? Why would I do that? Believe it or not, this hasn't been the best few months for me, either. At least be reasonable, Mom."

We were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. They were light and swifter than any human could have moved – vampires.

My throat closed and began to back away instinctively. "Mom," I whispered in horror.

She moved in front of me protectively, her eyes sweeping the land around us.

"It's alright," Rob said, suddenly appearing behind us. "It's Ajay and his friends. It's not William." As he spoke the words, Ajay and four other shapes took form in the west.

I exhaled. I'd almost forgotten that they'd planned to meet us here.

Rob continued past us, Emily trailing after him. He called a greeting to them in a smooth, melodious language. Ajay smiled for the second time that I'd ever seen and clapped his brother-in-law on the shoulder. The two continued to speak in the beautiful foreign language, Ajay gesturing to the three males and female who followed him.

I glanced at Emily, who was looking at us. I looked at her expression for a moment. She didn't seem to be infuriated at the moment. I waved her over. "What're they saying?" I whispered as she joined Mom and me.

She glanced back at Ajay and Rob. "I'm not entirely sure. I can only catch the odd word. My Hindi's really not very good."

"How does Rob know Hindi?" Mom asked, chuckling.

"Languages are a hobby of his. He speaks somewhere around one hundred."

The language abruptly changed as Ajay's male friend began to speak.

"Do you know what they're saying now?" I inquired.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I think it's Sanskrit."

Rob turned to look at us. "Em, Bella, Nessie, I'd like to introduce you to Ajay's friends, who have very graciously offered to help us." He gestured to the first male. He was around Ajay's height with warm black eyes and black hair cropped very short. "This is Siddharth, and his mate, Ishana." The female at Siddharth's side was slightly paler than the others. She had a beautiful, finely-featured face and long, silky black hair. She nodded her head to us and smiled slightly. "Beside her are Raj and Aryan." The other two males were slightly shorter than Ajay and Siddharth. Raj's hair was a slightly lighter brown colour, while Aryan's was jet-black and tightly curled.

He turned back to the Indian vampires. "This is my wife, Emily, and her adoptive sister, Bella Cullen. The copper-haired young lady is Bella's daughter, Renesmee Black."

I blushed.

"Nice to meet you," Mom said, nodding.

"And you, Mrs. Cullen," Siddharth said. He looked at Emily. "You must also be Rebecca's sister."

She nodded and half-smiled.

"You look like her," Ishana mused. She looked from Mom to me and back again with mild confusion. She looked at her mate, who seemed equally confused by us.

I blushed again. If they thought we were weird _now_, I would be interested to see what they thought of us after they found out that we had werewolves for friends.

Raj muttered something in Sanskrit, and then all four turned and disappeared in the opposite direction.

I swallowed as they loped off into the horizon. "They're going to hunt, aren't they," I said very quietly.

Mom pursed her lips and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Come on," she said without answering.

I glanced at the sky as we walked and froze suddenly with a gasp. "What _is_ that?" I asked, nodding to a long, wispy strand of colour moving in a snake-like motion across the clear, star-filled sky.

Emily followed my gaze. "Aurora Borealis. Northern lights. I knew an old Inuk _angakkuq_ – and Inuit equivalent to a shaman – that used to say it was made up of the spirits of his peoples' ancestors, and that they would sometimes take to dancing in the sky."

"It's so pretty," I murmured. I had never seen anything like them.

"I've read about the northern lights," Mom said. "They're almost impossible to predict, but they're really the most beautiful natural occurrence in the world."

When we returned, the strategy session was still underway. Rebecca smiled in relief when she saw her mate and rose to greet him.

"Welcome back," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"Thank you," he said. "I have brought four friends with me. I shall introduce them when they return from their hunt."

"Well done, Ajay," Grandpa Carlisle said. "We have just been discussing strategy."

"We were thinking of assembling here," Rob said, gesturing to a mountainous area on the map. "It would give us the high ground."

Emily shook her head. "It's too close to the city. It'd be in view of the weather lookouts, and we run the risk of running into hunters." She pointed to a ridge of mountains several hundred kilometres west of Yellowknife. "This would be better. We would still have the high ground to an extent, and it would give us a measure of cover. There's a hamlet just south of there, Nahanni Butte. Its population is very small, so the humans aren't likely to give us any trouble. However, I suggest that we create some sort of diversion, just to be safe. If we set a fire near it – not one that would harm the people, of course – it would be enough to keep them busy."

Uncle Jasper and Rob both nodded as she spoke. "Yes, that's good," Uncle Jasper commented. "That should help."

"Do we have any idea what kind of numbers we're looking at?" Mom asked.

Uncle Jasper shook his head, pursing his lips unhappily. "William has them constantly on the move, and he has someone keeping them in check. I did some looking into the human news here, and aside from a few disappearances, nothing mysterious has been reported."

"I wish the same could be said for Ocean Shores," Dad said, entering the room with Aunt Alice floating behind him. Both looked grave. "Alice has just had a vision of the FBI asking more questions at the hospital."

"And at the University of Washington," she added quietly. "They're getting desperate. They are taking a lot of heat from the local and even the national media, and they need someone to blame."

"I can't imagine the fact that we've left the country is doing much to help our case," Uncle Jasper sighed.

I felt the blood drain from my face. William had planned this with sickening brilliance. He'd made us look just guilty enough to raise suspicion, and then he'd forced us to leave the country, which made us look like we were running from the authorities He must have been planning our demise for some time.

"I'll start working on a defence," Ian said. "We should have a few weeks before the Canadian government becomes involved, and it will take months for them to have us extradited. We can take care of William and disappear quite easily in that amount of time."

"And go where?" Emily asked. "We have paper trails all over the world. There is no where for us to hide once we're on their radar. This isn't like the old days where you could simply move on to a new country. We would have to hide for decades, centuries, even, before it would be safe to return to North America. How would we explain that to our human acquaintances, like Bella's father?"

"Let's not despair just yet," Grandpa Carlisle said. "There is still a chance that Ian could sort all of this out before that becomes a necessity, and there's a chance that things won't even progress that far. Let them do their checking. Let them try to pin the murders and disappearances on us. They lack anything solid. We can deal with them later. The primary threat is William right now."

"William is threatening _us_," I said. "The humans are threatening everything."

"We could…eliminate the humans that threaten us," Uncle Jasper suggested.

"I agree," Rob said. "It's not a preferable choice, but it would solve our dilemma."

"No," Grandpa Carlisle said gently but firmly. "There is another way to do this. There must be."

I sighed. If we went home and acted on the situation, we became murderers and hypocrites, and we gave William a chance to pick us off later on. If we didn't act, the Volturi would destroy us for exposing the secret. Quite literally, we were stuck between the Devil and the deep blue sea.

"We've already talked about this," Mom said. "We have to focus on William and getting Tara back. That's the threat that we have the power to control, remember?"

"Bella's right," Emily said. "We came all the way here. We can't turn back now. Let us be finished with this." She looked back at the map. "William's goal will be to destroy Tara, Becca and Carlisle."

"Me?" Grandpa Carlisle asked, surprised.

She looked at him and nodded. "You are our leader. Destroying you would mean destabilizing the coven, which would make us easier to defeat." Just like Rob had tried to take out Uncle Jasper during the fight, I realized.

"Surely it's not that serious," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"I won't take any chances, Dad," Emily said softly. She looked at each of us. "The three of them must be your priority."

"Aren't you leaving out yourself?" I asked.

She looked at me in annoyance.

"She's right," Dad said. "You'd be just as high up on their list as Rebecca or Carlisle or…" He looked at me and swallowed.

I felt Mom's arm lock around me.

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "William and I have unfinished business. Protection will just slow me down."

"We're not going to let you get killed in the process, Em," Uncle Jasper said.

"I will take protection only if you do," Grandpa Carlisle said. "I won't take any chances either."

She sighed. "Fine. It's not like any of you listen to me anyway." She turned her back to us for a moment, her hands curling and uncurling. "The ones that will be crucial for us to eliminate will be William's mate, Mia–,"

I cringed, and noticed everyone else doing the same. It was without question the cruellest thing one could ever do to an immortal, and I refused to take that thought any further.

"Oh don't look at me like that," she said. "We have to distract him somehow. Now, Catherine will also be important. I've seen the way she is with the newborns. She has taken my place as the second-in-command."

"Yes," Rebecca confirmed. "She told us that she took over almost immediately after you left."

Emily nodded. "And his sons…two, you said?"

Rebecca hesitated. "Y-Yes."

She nodded again. "They will also be important."

I edged out of the room casually. I couldn't take anymore. I couldn't stand all of this talk about strategic killing. It was bad enough that this would have to happen at all. Did we really have to spend so much time discussing it? I couldn't understand how everyone was so clinical about this. As misguided and evil as the Taylors were, they were still a family; they were a group of people who loved each other – like us.

I made my way back downstairs, which was now crammed with the wolves. I felt the extra warmth the moment I entered the basement. The couches were all occupied, as was much of the floor space. I picked my way through the room carefully and then made my way into the room that Jacob and I shared. His face was troubled as he slept.

I sighed and lay down beside him again, careful not to move the mattress. I stared at the ceiling for a moment and then looked at him again. I tried not to think about what Mom said, but my mind went there anyway.

Was I trying not to believe him?

If I was being honest with myself, I _knew_ that I was. I'd been pushing him away ever since my doubts about the permanence of imprinting had entered my mind. I had been spending months putting distance between us. I had let myself lose my trust in him and I had been trying to distance myself ever since. I'd been trying not to accept it or acknowledge it, but I couldn't deny it anymore. It was what it was.

I closed my eyes with a sigh, too weary to contemplate things any further. I was asleep within seconds.

Jacob woke me gently the next morning. "Nessie," he said, touching my arm.

I opened my eyes.

"We're going to leave soon."

I propped myself up on my arm and rubbed my eyes. "Where're we going?"

"Everyone who hasn't hunted already is going for a hunt, and then we're going to Yellowknife."

I stared at him for a moment. This was the day that at long last we would face William. This was the day that would decide the rest of our lives. This would either be a moment of freedom or a moment of defeat for my family. "Jake…" I whispered, unable to say anything else.

"I know," he said. "But things aren't so bad. Come upstairs and see."

I frowned, instantly curious. I got out of bed and followed him upstairs. I was instantly greeted by an overwhelming plethora of vampire scents, far more than there had been last night.

I looked at Jacob in confusion as we navigated through the house, which was swarming with unfamiliar faces. His body was tense, but his face did not betray his discomfort. I noticed the unfamiliar vampires cringe away from him as we passed. Jacob barely seemed to notice.

He looked back at me. "Looks like the Canadians pulled through after all. Four of them showed up last night, as well as the rest of the Denali. The Russians are here, too."

"Cael?" I guessed.

He nodded.

I looked around for a moment, awed by the sheer number of vampires in the house. The wolves didn't seem particularly happy about this fact, and were huddled towards the back of the room, watching everything suspiciously. I noticed that the vampires, too, gave them a wide berth. "How did they to agree to this?"

He shrugged. "Vamps gossip, I guess. That's how the Canadians got here. Rob and Jasper had to spend the whole night training and re-training everyone."

My eyes widened. "They all know to hunt elsewhere, right?"

"Not to worry," said Evan, one of the Winter's friends and one of the more pleasant guests that I'd had at my wedding as he strolled over to join us. He glanced around at the other vampires. "We all hunted prior to arriving. Most of us are connected with the Winters, and we know how they operate." He smiled lightly.

"Did you talk to the other Canadians?" I inquired.

He nodded. "Some of it was me, most of it was Ian. They just needed more time to consider it is all." He looked in the direction of Emily and Ian, who were standing with my grandparents. "We would not leave them to stand alone. We owe them our allegiance. They have been trusted friends for a very long time."

"What're we waiting for now?" I asked.

"Dahlia," Jacob replied. "She's supposed to call us with her location."

I swallowed.

"It'll be okay," Jacob murmured. My expression must have betrayed me.

"Will it?" With our family, the Denali, the Russians, the Canadians, the Winters' friends, the Indians and the pack, our numbers stood at forty-eight. That was good, very good, far more than we'd had last time, but would it be enough? We didn't know what William's numbers were like, and he had newborns on his side.

"Yes," Jacob said resolutely. "We can do this. We have to be positive, Ness."

"Don't become too confident," Evan cautioned. "Coven wars never end well."

I pursed my lips, but there was no time for that now. I knew that I had to be strong, and I would need all the strength that I could find. But no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't stop wondering who wouldn't be coming home with us.

I took a breath to steady my nerves. Of the lives at stake, our family made up the greatest percentage, and there wasn't one of them whom I was willing to live without.

Evan's voice faded to the background as I looked up at the one whom I _couldn't_ live without.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Alice, is there any chance that you might be able to see something? _Anything_?" Grandpa Carlisle inquired of my tiny aunt as we convened in the entryway of the house. Virtually everywhere else in the house was taken. The smell was overwhelming.

Aunt Alice shook her head and sighed. "Not a thing. I tried all night."

"What about just focusing on William?" Emily asked.

She shook her head again. "His future is inextricably linked with his family's, and I can't see around them. I'm sorry. We'll just have to do this blind."

I tried to remain calm as the discussion continued. We were facing an unknown number of enemies at an unknown time to decide an unknown future. I felt like a human.

"Rob and I have just finished with the last of the new arrivals," Uncle Jasper announced as he and Rob joined us.

"Are they sufficiently prepared?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

The veterans exchanged glances. "They're prepared as we can make them in so limited an amount of time," Rob hedged.

_Remain calm…remain calm…everything is fine, just remain calm_, I told myself.

"What do you mean?" Aunt Rose asked warily.

"Very few of those here have any experience with combat," Rob said. "Adair briefly fought for the Romanians against the Volturi."

"Until they started losing, that is," Ian put in.

"And Ivan was once involved in a coven war," Rob finished. "But beyond that, we've had to start from scratch, and there's simply far too much to try to condense into such a limited amount of time."

"We've given them all that we can. Beyond this, they will have to rely on instinct," Uncle Jasper said.

"They'll pick it up as they go," Uncle Emmett said dismissively. He smiled eagerly. "William's got nothing on us."

I looked around the room at all of the beautiful, unfamiliar faces. Each shared a common look of fearless determination. I marvelled at their bravery. They were all so ready to fight and to die for people that, aside from the Winters, they barely knew. Most of them would know us only by reputation, and some of those would be hoping that fighting for us would mean that we would one day take the place of the Volturi.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed unhappily. "And they are all aware of the risks?"

Rob nodded solemnly. "I made sure of that. I would not allow them to fight if I thought that they were uninformed for the magnitude of what we are asking them to sacrifice."

I saw Uncle Jasper lower his eyes.

"We'll introduce you to our friends," Emily said, her voice subdued. Her face was gravely serious. I felt badly for her. I hadn't been much happier when it had been my turn to watch virtually everyone I'd ever known and then some prepare to face death on my account.

She turned her head towards the living room. "Niigaanii, Fala, Dominic, Ava, if you would?"

Four faces turned in our direction. A male and female with pale russet skin – of Native heritage, I would have guessed – and a male and female with snow-white skin glided over to stand with us, exchanging glances as they walked.

She looked first at the Canadians. "Friends, this is Carlisle Cullen, his mate Esme, their children Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Bella and Edward are hunting, you will meet them when they return. This is their daughter Renesmee, and her mate, Jacob."

Their eyes followed each of my family members' faces, but stopped on ours. They looked at Jacob and me in confusion and awe.

"Renesmee is, as you have probably deduced, of my race. Jacob, her mate, is a werewolf, like Sam and the others, whom you've already met," she told them. "Cullens, as I mentioned, this is Niigaanii and his mate, Fala. Beside them are Dominic and Ava."

"We are greatly pleased to meet you," said the one called Niigaanii.

"And we you," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"We have heard quite a lot about you," said Dominic, smiling slightly.

Ian cleared his throat loudly and cast Dominic a dark look.

"And I'm sure my brother has explained to you this family's stance on taking control from the Italians," Rob said mildly.

"Oh, I know," Dominic said, his smile never faltering.

Ian rolled his eyes. He massaged his temples with a sigh. "I need a drink."

"Edward and Bella had the right idea," Aunt Alice agreed. "Let's go."

I hung back. I had banked on getting a hunt in before we had to face William, but the idea was strangely unpalatable right at the moment.

"'You coming?" Jacob asked quietly.

I shook my head, swallowing. "I'm not feeling so great."

He looked at me in concern for a moment, but when he could see that I would say nothing more, he nodded and turned to leave.

"I'll stay as well," Rob said, looking at Dominic purposefully. "It would seem that there are some things that still need to be discussed."

I looked from Rob to Dominic and back again. Dominic did not seem the least bit phased, despite the frosty look on Rob's face.

"We shall hunt as well," Niigaanii said. "We know the rules," he added before anyone could protest.

"Emily?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

She looked at him. "No, thank you."

He hesitated. "It would be a good idea."

"I'll be alright, Dad," she said quietly.

My family left the house with the Canadians trailing them. I walked past Rob and Dominic to stare out of one of the narrow windows on either side of the front door. For the first time that I'd seen since we'd arrived, it was daylight. I looked out at the snow-draped landscape stretching out around the house and rubbed my arms instinctively, although the cold which spread through my body like the hand of death had nothing to do with the sub-arctic climate.

"It's beautiful, is it not?" The voice was Rob's, but I did not look at him.

I nodded. "Yeah. I've never been up here during the winter. It's pretty."

"I have always thought so," he agreed.

I glanced at him. The lighting highlighted three particularly deep bite marks on the stone flesh of his snow-coloured neck. I wondered absently where he'd gotten them.

"That was your uncle," Rob said, answering my unspoken question with a grim smile. "The result of one of our many…aggressive disagreements. If you think I have a temper now…" His smile became grimmer still.

I averted my eyes quickly, unaware that I'd been staring. "Sorry," I said quickly.

"You needn't be."

"You remember where all of your bites come from?" I asked.

"The downside to perfect recall," he said. His dark gold gaze hardened as he stared ahead.

I stared at my hands instead, afraid that I would end up staring again if I didn't keep my eyes otherwise occupied. "What was it like? Being in the army?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look away. "It was an experience which I would not wish on anyone."

I chewed on my lip. "How many people usually die in these battles?"

He grimaced. "It depends on a number of things; experience, focus, strength, location, training, preparation, strategy…" he trailed off, undoubtedly trying to calculate our odds in his head. He looked at me. "Not to worry, Emmett and I have been assigned to protect you."

"What?" I demanded. "No, that's absurd. You're one of our strongest fighters. You can't waste your time protecting me. I can take care of myself."

He shook his head dismissively. I could tell that nothing I could say was going to make him change his mind. Why was my family so ridiculously stubborn? "It's been decided."

"Well then who's going to protect Emily and Grandpa Carlisle?" I challenged.

"Jasper and Cael."

Well, that was just freaking perfect. One for each of them, but two for me? How was that fair? Clearly Jacob was behind this. Probably my parents, too. When would they realize that I wasn't totally helpless? That I was in fact capable of defending myself?

"I know this is displeasing to you," Rob said. "But it is the safest way."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. For who?"

"For _you_."

"And what about you and Uncle Emmett? You're painting targets on your backs. I don't want Em pissed at me if something happens to you."

He gave a small smile. "My wife wants you protected as much as well all do. She knows the risks, and Emmett and I are prepared to handle them."

"Am I not?"

"Of course you are," he said diplomatically. "But we don't know what William's numbers will be, and therefore we can't be sure how many he would be willing to send after you. It may be more than any of us could handle on our own. But since we don't know with certainty what we will face, we can't take any chances. But we know with certainty that he has newborns – newborns who will be drawn to the scent of your blood –, and they are harder to defeat that you might think."

I set my jaw and looked away.

"We would be doing the same were it anyone else in your position."

_Yeah right_, I thought darkly. _You're not all so ridiculously overprotective of anyone else. Except Tara._

"Oi, Rob!" Cael called.

Rob glanced over his shoulder and then looked back at me. "Excuse me," he said and then left to follow his friend.

I stood there for a long time after he left, and then, giving up, I followed the smell of baking muffins into the kitchen. I found Emily hard at work. I could smell a quiche baking in the oven.

"Wow," I murmured. "You've gone all out."

She glanced at me over her shoulder and waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing."

"Do you need help?" I inquired.

She paused, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I suppose so."

Embry wandered curiously into the kitchen just as we had finished with the last of the quiches. "Is this for us?"

Emily looked him. "Yes. And it's ready."

Embry sighed. "Marry me?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

She chuckled. "I think I'm a little old for you, son. And there's the small matter of me being already married."

"I have nothing against married women," he grinned. "Not even _old_ married women."

She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome."

"Thank you!" Embry exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

Emily froze. I laughed at the expression on her face as she looked at me. She patted his back awkwardly.

Rob cleared his throat from behind him.

Embry let go of her quickly. "Why do you keep _doing_ that?"

Rob moved to stand beside Emily and slid an arm around her waist. "Because I can. Now why don't you go find a lovely bone to gnaw on or something to that effect?"

I snorted. Embry glared.

Rob ignored him and looked from Emily to me. "The family's back."

She raised her eyebrows. "That was short."

"We'll leave in less than an hour."

Emily nodded. "Good."

My heart caught in my throat. I couldn't bring myself to share her contentment with the news.

"Do help me serve this, Renesmee?" she said, picking up one of the trays of freshly-baked chocolate chip muffins. Rob took another, and I took the last. We were barely through the door of the dining room when the pack swarmed us. Emily and Rob both took an automatic step back and looked at me.

"Sit," Sam ordered, his voice booming with authority.

The wolves reluctantly sat down around the Winters' surprisingly long table. Only Sam stood as the meal was served.

"Obedient little pups," Rob said beneath his breath.

Emily chuckled and watched as the wolves ate voraciously. She sighed. "I'm going to have to air out the house for a week," she murmured to me, turning her head away from the wolves slightly.

I shrugged. The wolves' scent had never bothered me. It seemed even less significant in light of what we were preparing to face.

"This coming from a vamp?" Jacob retorted as he strolled over to join us. "Believe me, if you think _your_ nose is suffering…"

I couldn't bring myself to smile at the humour. _What if this is one of the last times that I see him?_ I thought as I looked at my Jacob.

He met my eyes for a moment and then touched my arm. "Can we talk for a second?" Jacob murmured to me.

I nodded and followed him out of the room. We moved to stand by the stairs. He sighed and dug his hands into his pockets. "These past few months have been…tense between us," he said. "I know you're trying to figure things out for yourself, but I need you to know before we leave that I still love you. I _always_ will, Renesmee, and I hope some day that my word will be enough for you. But…until then, I couldn't leave without telling you."

I stared up at my husband. "Jake," I murmured, reaching up to stroke his face. He leaned his face against my hand. "I love you. I know I haven't always acted like it and that I've been hard on you these past months, but I do, more than anything. I just need more time to figure all of this stuff out for myself. I never really bothered to think about it before, but I realize now that I need to understand this."

He nodded, bowing his head. "I know."

"I'm sorry for accusing you. About Leah, I mean. I was being stupid."

He smiled. "That's an understatement."

I gave him a tiny smile, and then inhaled deeply. _Then again, I may not get a chance to figure this out_, I realized.

"Don't think like that," he said softly.

But my mind had already gone there. What if something were to happen to him? What if he was hurt? Or killed?

I began to tremble as I realized that, as Rob said, we had no idea what we were up against. Some of us would not be returning, that was a given. But what if my Jacob was among those who were not to return?

"Stop, honey," he said. He pulled me into his arms. He stroked my hair as I shook. "I'll be fine. I'll be okay."

"That's what you said last time," I mumbled.

"Seth was an idiot last time."

"Yes, and it was Leah before that. Mom told me about the last time you fought newborns."

He caught my face between his hands and lifted it so that I was looking at him. "Listen to me," he said. "I have something to fight for now, something that I didn't have then."

"Pardon the intrusion, lovebirds," Uncle Emmett said with a slight smirk, striding over to us. "We're about to leave."

Jacob and I both looked at him. I nodded. "Okay. We'll be outside in a minute."

It was his turn to nod before leaving the house.

I looked back at Jacob. We stared at each other for a moment. I hugged his neck tightly while his arms slid around my waist. I held him tightly, tears stinging my eyes. _This will not be the last time_, I told myself. _This will not be the last time_.

When we drew back, he pressed his lips to mine with feverish passion. I sighed against his lips. It felt like ages since I had kissed him.

He pulled away after a moment. "I have to go to my pack," he whispered, laying his forehead against mine.

I nodded again. "I know." I took a breath, and then stepped back. "Go."

He gave me one of his uniquely heart-melting smiles and then turned on his heel and returned to the dining room.

I closed my eyes and stood there for a moment. _This will not be the last time._

I returned to my room to get my parka, and then followed the droves of immortals making for the doorway. Before anyone could reach the door, Emily moved to the raised landing. "Wait," she said, her voice resonating throughout the house. I could see her trembling. I wondered if it was from fear or emotion.

She took a deep breath. "Firstly, I want you all to know how much I appreciate the sacrifice that you are prepared to make. Your very presence here today is a testament to your bravery. But I must warn you, seek no mercy from William, because you will not find it. I beg each of you to be sure of this before you decide to do this."

Grandpa Carlisle ascended the stairs to stand beside her. He wrapped his arm around her to keep her steady. "I agree. If there is anyone here who wishes to reconsider their offer, we would not think any less of you."

No one spoke.

"Face it, Em," Henry said. "We're with you." He looked at the rest of my family. "We're with all of you."

"And there's nothing that you can do about it," Adair added tauntingly.

The room echoed with chuckles.

"We're not letting you have all the fun," Uncle Emmett said. "Deal with it, little sis."  
"Yeah!" Paul said. "Let's kill some vamps!"

The wolves cheered while the vampires shifted away from them quickly. The wolves were the first out the door. Some of the younger ones, too caught up in their excitement, phased in the driveway, sending shreds of cloth fluttering to the frozen ground. This caused a considerable amount of concern amongst the vampires, most of who slipped into crouches and hissed at them.

"Monstrous!" I heard someone gasped.

"It's all right," I reassured them. "They're not dangerous. To you, anyway." I looked at Uncle Jasper as he and Rob moved to stand at the head of the vampire column.

He ducked his head in thanks. As I turned to get into Aunt Alice's car, I heard him murmur to Rob, "Just like old times."

Rob chuckled darkly.

I tried not to think about what that meant.

I waited beside the car with Aunt Alice and Emily as Uncle Jasper and Rob explained the route to our own little army. Emily fidgeted nervously at my side, her blue eyes wide.

"It'll be okay," Aunt Alice promised her.

"Really," I added. "We'll be fine."

She gave me a weak smile. "I told you. I hate being powerless."

"This will all be over soon," Aunt Alice said.

Emily murmured something very softly. I wasn't sure, but it sounded like, "Not for me."

Once Uncle Jasper and Rob had finished, we set out. Dad had gone with the army so that they would be forewarned if William tried to intercept us on our way north. The frozen landscape flew past us. Ahead of us was Rob, Ian and Jacob's car. I focused on its tail lights to keep myself calm.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" I asked Emily, looking away from the car for a moment to gaze at her as we began along a snow-covered ravine leading down to a frozen river.

Before she could answer, there was a horrible screeching of metal. I heard Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice gasp in horror. My gaze snapped back to the car ahead of us, but I saw no tail lights.

Uncle Jasper pulled over and jerked the car to a stop. He threw the door open and got out, leaving the car to idle. Aunt Alice did the same, a hand flying to her mouth.

"What? What happened?" I demanded. I looked at Emily again, but she was staring down the road. Her face had gone pale.

I followed her gaze to see a smug-looking Catherine flanked by one of the newborns that had attacked our house. My heart froze in my chest. I blinked, almost unable to believe my eyes. When I looked back, they were gone. I got out of the car, my heart hammering in my chest. I stared intently into the darkness, trying to pick them out again, but they were gone.

I stood there for a moment, still breathing heavily. I looked towards the cliff. It was then that I noticed the skid marks leading over the side of the ravine.

I stared at it for a moment and began to tremble. I walked towards it as though in a trance, stopping beside my aunt. I could hear her and my uncle speaking in loud, concerned tones, but none of it processed. I continued to stare, unable to believe what I was looking at.

At the bottom of the cliff, I could vaguely make out the shape of Rob's shiny red car, crumpled and burning.

Exactly one thought ran through my mind, as though on repeat, as I stared at it.

_Jacob was in that car_.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

I continued to stare, but the longer I stared, the less sense it made. I couldn't understand how Rob could have lost control. He was a great driver, with reflexes like lightning. There was no way that this was really happening.

I slowly looked at Emily, who met my eyes with the same horrified expression. We both jumped as there was a loud boom. I looked down in time to see the flames grow. _The fire reached the gas tank_, I thought randomly, my mind still frozen with disbelief.

Emily stood there for a moment and then started screaming.

I stared on, unable to muster the strength or will to scream. It felt like my entire body had been leached of every ounce of energy that it had possessed. It was as though my spirit had been sucked right out of me.

I looked up just in time to see Emily attempt to fling herself off of the cliff.

"No!" Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice said in unison. Uncle Jasper pulled her back from the edge of the cliff. "Stop it! Are you insane? You aren't strong enough for that! You'll hurt yourself!"

"I have to get to them!" she screamed frantically as she tried to tear herself free.

"Not like that! You'll get yourself killed!" Aunt Alice said, pulling her back again.

Emily crumpled into Aunt Alice's arms, sobbing. I didn't need to ask why. If even the slightest bit of Rob or Ian's venom had been exposed to the flames, they would die. The crash itself probably hadn't harmed them, but the fire…

Jacob, however, was not made of stone. His body would not have been impervious to the initial impact. He wasn't crash or flame-proof. His bones could still break. His veins could still bleed. His heart could still beat. His heart could still stop beating.

"Jacob," I whispered. I stumbled back and fell to the snow. I sat there, perfectly motionless.

An icy, granite hand clamped around my mouth suddenly. My eyes widened in shock. I struggled as I was carried up the embankment on the other side of the road until Catherine's voice whispered in my ear, "It's not in your best interest to make a sound, girl," she whispered. "You see, we have orders not to harm you, but I tend to be forgetful."

I froze, my eyes drifting back towards my Emily, my aunt and my uncle. None of them seemed to have noticed my absence.

"Wait, where's Nessie?" I heard Aunt Alice ask as we crested the hill.

Uncle Jasper gave a feral snarl suddenly, and then there was the sound of rushing wind as he trailed us.

"Go, Christian!" snapped Catherine.

We broke into a sprint. The newborn's arms were like reinforced steel around me as I thrashed about vainly. "Uncle Jasper!" I screamed.

The newborn hissed at me and struck me across the face. Everything went black.

* * *

"_What_ did I tell you?" snarled a deep voice as I came to. The accent was exactly the same Emily's, I noted. I kept my eyes shut, grimacing at the pain emanating from my skull for the second time in as many weeks. "I told you not to harm her! I want her in perfect condition! What part of that is difficult for you to understand? Is it really so much to ask?"

"I'm sorry, Father." It was Catherine's voice this time. "She refused to comply. We had no choice."

"No _choice_," scoffed the male voice. "If you'd taken her when you took Tara, _as_ _you were_ _instructed to do_, this would have been much simpler."

I realized with a sinking feeling that it was William Taylor. I felt a burst of adrenaline as my fight of flight instincts kicked in. I opened my eyes slightly and tried to get my bearings.

I was lying on a cold wooden floor in a dimly-lit room. From my position, I could see the main door to the house. The voices were coming from the other side of it. To my immediate left was a long counter that ran the width of the kitchen. Above it was a window with its outdated curtains tightly shut.

"Did you at least obliterate the car?" he demanded.

"It caught fire."

"I told you to blow it up!"

"The blonde-haired male chased me off before I had a chance to see if it blew up!"

"The leader?"

"No, one of his sons."

"The newborn trainer?"

My eyes widened. How did he know about Uncle Jasper's past?

"Yes."

He sighed. "I want them _all _taken care of. We'll simply have to try again."

"If they don't move first, you mean."

"Yes, thank you for stating the obvious, Catherine," he snapped.

I sat up slowly and turned my head. On the other side of the kitchen was a long hallway leading to a door at the end. I could hear an inhumanly quick heartbeat coming from the other side.

_Tara_!

I got up quickly and rushed to the end of the hall. I threw the door open to see Tara sitting on a cot by the window, her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked at me as I entered, relief flashing across her face. "Nessie!" she cried. She flashed to her feet and wrapped her arms around me.

I hugged her fiercely. "Are you okay? We've all been so worried about you. Ian –" I froze as I remembered the crash.

"How are they?" Tara asked, pulling me back to arm's length to search my face. "Are they are all right? I've only been able to talk to Em twice since they took me."

I gazed at her and then bowed my head, tears pricking my eyes.

"What happened?" she demanded, panic colouring her voice.

"Your brother's car took a little tumble off of the cliff," Catherine said. William stood behind her. He was a head taller than her, and even more handsome than I had remembered him. I paused as I noticed a devastatingly beautiful child in his arms. It took one glance to deduce that she was a half-breed. She had sapphire-blue eyes and straight dark hair. _That must be Rebecca's niece, Cali_, I realized. _The half-breed child. _

She met my awed stare for a moment and then looked up at William. I followed her gaze to see that his garnet eyes were fixed on me interestedly.

I shuddered.

"What?" Tara asked, panic seeping into her voice. "What are you talking about? Did something happen to Rob?"

I looked at Catherine. Her face was completely unapologetic. "You pushed it, didn't you," I stated.

She smiled. "Yes, I did."

Tara looked from Catherine to William to me and back again. "You…pushed Rob's car off a cliff?" she whispered. She looked back at me. "Nessie, who was in it?"

I pursed my lips, a tear spilling down my cheek. "Rob, Ian and…" I couldn't bear to speak the last name. All at once, the agony of that moment rushed back. I felt my knees shake. They nearly buckled under me.

"And who?" she insisted frenziedly. "And _who_, Renesmee?"

"Jacob," I whispered. I sat down on the edge of the cot for support.

She gaped at me in horror, and then looked back at William and Catherine. "Did they…Are they…?"

"Dead?" Catherine said.

I choked back a sob and wrung my hands. This couldn't be happening.

"For your sake, you'd best hope so," William muttered to Catherine, and then stepped past her. He studied me with an uncomfortable amount of interest. "Renesmee Black. What a pleasure to meet you, at long last. I only glimpsed you when last we met, at your grandfather's hospital, and I'm afraid that my daughter has not been particularly forthcoming with information about you," he said, reaching out a hand to stroke Tara's head. She hissed and moved away from him, still looking between him and Catherine in disbelief.

He ignored her. "Perhaps you would be more willing to tell me about yourself."

I stared at him in wordless fury.

"Is that a no?" Catherine asked menacingly.

"Silence," William bade her. "I'm sure Mrs. Black would be far more cooperative if she knew the reasons behind what has transpired over the past few months."

_Don't count on it, you worthless freak_, I thought.

"You see," he said, settling in a chair on the other side of the room. He set Cali down. She bounded over to Tara quickly and leapt into her arms. "My creator and I have great ambitions for your race."

"Yeah, so I've heard," I snapped. I was grateful for the anger. It distracted me from the pain.

He smiled thinly. "Yes, I'm sure my eldest has told you all about me. Her version of me, at least."

I hesitated, taken aback. What was he talking about, her version of him?

He chuckled humourlessly, apparently noticing my surprise. "You can't have really thought that everything Emily told you about me was true? After all, if she was capable of lying to her own sister for sixty years, how reliable do you really believe her to be? It's not much of a precedent, is it?"

As the words left his mouth, I felt a dawn of understanding rise over the black night of uncertainty. _Of_ _all the inconvenient times to have a revelation_, I thought to myself in exasperation. Emily, whom I'd known for only two years and did have a history of lying, as William had pointed out, I had believed without question when she had told us about William. I'd had no reason to believe her beyond her word when she'd told us. Of course, over time it was reaffirmed by William's interferences with our lives. But at the time, I'd had no reason to believe her.

Jacob, however, I had known since birth – literally. I had every reason in the world to believe him. He had never failed me. Sure, I'd failed him more than a few times, but his loyalty had never swerved. If I could so readily believe Emily, why not Jacob? Jacob, who had given up everything to be with me? Jacob, who had proven over and over again how serious he was about spending eternity with me, even leaving at my request despite the pain he must have known it would cause him?

If I could take Emily's word, I could take Jacob's.

_That's all I need_.

I looked at William squarely as I answered. "I'm sure."

"Sure of what?"

"I'm sure it's not much of a precedent. But if she were wrong, I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"

His smug expression cooled. "I see. Emily can be quite persuasive when she wants to be, can't she?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Why are you doing this, William? Why the disappearances? Why the conspicuous murders? And why did you try to have the Volturi kill us?"

He chuckled. "So full of questions. But I've told you why I'm doing this."

"Ambitions," Tara spat. "Yes, we've heard that."

He continued ignored her, as though she weren't even there. "You see, Mrs. Black, I'm afraid that you and every last member of your pathetic little coven of human rights activists are something of a problem for my creator and me," he said, acid leaking into his voice. "I had hoped that the Volturi would be able to take care of you during your last little run-in with them; I risked going all the way to Italy to see to it. I told Aro exactly where to find you.

"You see, it was a happy coincidence that I even found out that my long-lost daughters had joined the powerful Cullen coven. I was about entirely different business when I went that day to the hospital to speak to your grandfather. And as soon as I realized that the rumours were true, I knew it would be a matter of time before my name came up. That merely cemented what I had already begun to suspect."

"Which was what?" I asked.

"That if my creator and I were going to see our goals to fruition, that it would require the elimination of your coven."

I looked at him in shock.

"You see, in some ways we owe you our thanks. The Volturi were all but invincible before your family proved that they could be stopped, and they did it not only once, but twice. They've lost quite a bit of support because of all of you, which will make their defeat easier."

"We're not going to defeat them," I said, frowning.

He gave a small smile. "I was not referring to _you_."

My eyes threatened to pop clean out of their sockets. "You want to take on the Volturi," I realized.

He nodded. "I had you tracked whilst I researched. It didn't take me long to find about your newborn tamer, Jasper."

"Who told you about him?" I demanded. "Maria?"

He chuckled. "No, no. I didn't find out about her until later. No, I began with those that had attended your little confrontation. I tracked down some of your uncle's friends from his sordid past, Peter and Charlotte. And imagine my surprise when I found out that Emily's own mate was one of his creations.

"It was also then that I realized the ingenuity of a newborn army."

"So what about the disappearances around Ocean Shores? What was the purpose of that?"

He smiled. "To put pressure on the Volturi to destroy all of you, of course."

I did not allow the fear that his words brought me to show. "And what were you planning to do when they figured out that it was you?"

"Your coven was sure to have taken at least some of their numbers. You may be pathetic, but you're far from weak. And for those that remained, the newborns would serve their purpose."

I processed all of that in silence. Finally, I asked, "And what about Rai?"

"Rai?"

"Karan Rai, the one you sent after my uncle?"

"Ah, yes, him. I had that witless pawn follow your family to Ocean Shores to keep tabs on all of you, since I knew Rebecca would have told you all about Anya. I had him pay particular attention to you and your uncle. I wanted to know how much your family knew, and I wanted your newborn tamer eliminated."

I fought back the ice-cold grip of fear again. "What about Rob?"

"Him I elected to leave until you were onto me. I knew that that killing him would destroy Emily and make her more vulnerable and I didn't want her destroyed and vulnerable until the rest of you were within my reach."

I veiled my disgust thinly. "Why wouldn't you take her, too?"

"I took you and Tara because you two can be of use to me. Emily has long since outlived her utility. You and Tara are the keys to action, and as such, your abductions were intended to be…motivational, shall we say." He smiled again.

I stared at him for a long time, unable to fathom the depth of his malevolence. He had literally planned his every move from the start. He was even more intelligent than Emily had given him credit for. "Why did you tell us all of this? Why not keep us in the dark?" I whispered.

He leaned forward. "I intend to use the both of you. There is no need to keep you in suspense."

"You know that we would never help you."

"Soon enough, you will have no choice."

I tried to process all that he had said, and failed again. I couldn't understand how a person, even a vampire, could have lost their humanity so completely. There was literally not a shred of compassion left in the man. I almost couldn't believe that Emily had any relation to him whatsoever, much less the quiet, warm-hearted woman sitting beside me. I looked away from William's piercing red eyes, dropping my gaze to my hands as a wave of nausea made my stomach twist and roll. "Why?" I whispered. "Why do all of this?"

"How else are we to establish mixed-breed dominion?

"But why establish mixed-breed dominion?" I said, using his term.

He sat back with another smile. "At last, the right question.

"The humans' power of perception is increasing. How much longer do you suppose that we will remain anonymous? Technology has changed everything. Increased documentation, constant news coverage, the development of science. Within a century, humans will know about the existence of vampires. Within two, the entire vampiric race will be obliterated. Mixed-breeds like you have human-coloured eyes. You are not as sensitive to sunlight. You can eat food. You can control your thirst with far more ease than any vampire. But you also have all of the advantages of immortality. You and your kind are the way of the future. Soon you will be all that remains."

I shivered, a ripple of true fear raising gooseflesh on my arms. I looked at Tara, whose eyes were closed tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Those that are not prepared to accept the truth deserve what will come to them," William said.

"And where exactly do you and Joham fit into this plan?" I asked, cursing the tremor in my voice.

"They will need leaders, of course. Leaders who championed their cause from the start. Leaders who were responsible for the beginning of their race. What my creator began was merely a curiosity-driven scientific experiment. He did not then realize the implications of his discovery."

"So you mean to replace the entire vampire race with…us?" I said.

"_I_ won't have to. Can you imagine the international scouring that will take place when the humans realize that we exist? It will put the witch trials to shame. But mixed-breeds will be virtually undetectable."

"Father!"

I was still staring at William in shock when he rose and looked towards the door. The boy that entered it was his younger carbon copy, with the exception of his honey-brown eyes. I almost couldn't believe how similar they looked. "What is it, my son?" he asked. The pride in his voice as he said the word "son" was unmistakable. I caught Tara looking at the boy resentfully out of the corner of my eye.

"Micheail just picked up the Cullens' trail. They're a few kilometres away from Fort Simpson, moving west."

"Away from us?"

"Yes."

"Inform Joham and then lead the newborns to Micheail. Take your brother and sisters with you."

I closed my eyes in a mixture of relief and terror.

"Good. Come, Catherine." I opened my eyes to see the two walk quickly out of the room, Catherine shutting and locking the door behind her.

I raised an eyebrow. "Surely they realize a door's not going to really be a hindrance?"

"The house is almost always surrounded," Tara said so quietly that even my ears almost missed her words. "As it is, they usually keep me unconscious, just in case."

Silence took over after that. There were no words that could possibly follow what William had revealed.

I started counting mentally to make the silence less uncomfortable. I had almost gotten to three thousand when Tara finally spoke.

"Did you know that I was born in this room?"

I looked at her, and then around the room. It was modest; the walls were covered in aged floral-print wallpaper and aside from the cot and the chair, it was bare. Having seen what her mother had looked like, it was hard to picture her living – and eventually dying – here.

"Some part of me had always hoped that Em was exaggerating, that he wasn't as bad as what she'd always told me, and that Rebecca had just been influenced by Catherine." Another tear spilled down her cheek. "He spent days trying to convince me that that was the case. But –"

She stopped in mid-sentence, her gaze glazing over.

"What?" I asked, frowning.

She made no response. After several moments of this, her eyes snapped to mine. "Nessie, listen to me very carefully," she said, shifting so that she was looking at me more directly. "I just spoke to Em," she murmured very quietly. "First of all, Jacob is alive. So are Ian and Rob."

I sighed, closing my eyes with indescribable relief. I felt tears prick my eyes. My Jacob was alive. I buried my face in my hands and tried to focus on breathing normally.

"It's all right," she reassured me. "He's fine. He's frantic, but he's all right."

I nodded and tried to keep calm, rubbing my forehead. I was silent for a moment as I kept myself from hyperventilating.

"Now, listen carefully. What Anya will have picked up is half of the army. The rest are quite a distance from here with the rest of the family, and behind them is the pack. They're going to lure William off while they send a small group here to rescue us."

I sighed in relief. "Who's coming?"

"Henry and Dahlia. We have to be ready for them when they arrive. Also, the Volturi just arrived. Carlisle, Edward and Bella are staying back to deal with Aro. We're hoping he might help us."

This was it. It was really happening.

_You've known for a while that it would come to this_, I reminded myself. _There's no need to start panicking now._

She rose soundlessly and walked carefully over to the door. I stood behind her, watching intently as she broke the lock as quietly as possible. She swung the door open and crept down the hallway towards the kitchen and the entrance.

I followed, straining my ears to catch the sound of nearby voices, but there was nothing. We seemed safe enough.

Suddenly, there was the sound of rushing wind. I closed my eyes, hoping, praying, that it was our deliverers.

The door flew open suddenly. Dahlia stood in the doorway, Henry standing on the sagging porch behind her. She sighed in relief when she saw Tara, lapsing into Italian in her excitement. "There you are_._ _Abbiamo bisogno di lasciare, in fretta_," Dahlia said quickly.

I looked at Henry confusedly, hoping that he would know what she was saying. He merely shrugged in confusion.

"Come, quickly," Dahlia translated for us.

I didn't have to be told twice. I followed them out of the house quickly.

"This way," said Henry, leading us southward and towards an ice-covered stream flanked by bare trees. I picked up to a run, as did everyone else, and jumped its width easily. I landed on a snow-covered rock on the opposite bank lightly, and then kept running.

"_Alt_!" Dahlia said suddenly, freezing in place. She stared ahead, her eyes narrowed.

I stopped and looked around in confusion. I couldn't see or hear anything. "What is it?" I asked.

She held up a hand, her eyes never leaving the point on which she had fixed her eyes.

It was precisely then that I heard footsteps. I paled and looked up to see Catherine, William and three newborns standing a few dozen metres in front of us.

"Isn't this intriguing," said Catherine, crossing her arms over her chest. "Out for a stroll, are we?"

"How lovely," William said sarcastically, his crimson eyes glinting dangerously. He sighed. "Bring the mixed-breeds to me. Kill the rest," he ordered.

Catherine and the newborns advanced towards us immediately. I took an automatic step back.

"How many times have I told you _not _to do that?" Tara said through clenched teeth.

I stopped automatically. "Sorry." I certainly didn't want a repeat of what had happened the last time Catherine and her minions had tried to take us.

Catherine hesitated and glanced back at William. "Father, her shield."

I caught the sound of more footsteps approaching and looked to the west to see Ian appear out of the trees.

"_Ian_!" Henry said angrily. "We told you _not_ to follow us!"

"I don't care," he retorted, his eyes locked on Tara.

"Ian," she gasped, taking a step towards him.

"Tara, don't!" I said in horror.

But it was too late. Catherine and the newborns took advantage of her distraction and rushed us. I watched, frozen with shock as the newborns advanced.

"_Run_!" Henry shouted at me, throwing himself at Catherine as she lunged at Tara.

I blinked, his voice bringing me out of my paralyzed trance, and started running. As I ran, my heart pounding with such violence that I thought it might explode in my chest, I cursed my own weakness. Three other sets of footsteps followed me at the same time as there was a piercing metallic screech, followed by an enraged screech from Ian and a scream from Tara. I turned my head to see Henry's head being torn off of his neck by William. I grimaced and was about to look away again when I realized that both of the newborns were trailing me, with Dahlia right behind them. I pushed myself to go faster, but it was no use. The newborns were infinitely stronger than I was, and closed in on me quickly. There was a sickening feeling of déjà vu to this situation.

I kept my eyes on the newborns as I ran, and watched as Dahlia tackled the first. I faltered, torn between running for my life and stopping to help her. After several milliseconds of internal debate, I stopped. She managed to kill the first one without incident, but I knew that she was going to lose the moment that the second one got his arms around her. I turned my head away quickly and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't need that image in my head for the rest of my life. I grimaced as her scream was cut off with a sickening crunch.

When I opened them again, I was careful not to look at Dahlia. I saw the second newborn eyeing me with thirsty red eyes. I began to back away quickly, my body trembling. Behind the remaining newborn, Ian closed in quickly. He started off well, but I could also see that he was hopelessly distracted.

"Go!" Ian shouted at me as he stepped back from a blow aimed at his chest.

I had barely taken four steps when I froze once more, horrified as more metallic screeching filled the air, followed by a shriek from Ian. I looked back to see him lying on his stomach in the snow, the newborn holding the massive vampire's arms roughly behind his back.

"Unless you want to see them both dead, I suggest you reconsider your current course," William said coolly.

I hesitated. "I'll surrender if you don't hurt them."

"You are in no position to be making conditions," Catherine hissed. "Now you can obey, or you can get them killed."

I looked quickly from Ian to Tara, and then started walking back towards Catherine and William quickly.

"No," Ian said through clenched teeth, his face screwed up with pain. "Go," he gasped. "I'll be fine."

The newborn pulled harder, eliciting another cry from Ian.

I walked faster.

"Stop!" Tara screamed. "Please, Father, stop him!"

I looked between William and Tara as I came to a stop between them. William's expression was as cold as his heart. He looked indifferently at Tara and then back at the newborn that was holding Ian down. "Bring him to me, Ryan."

The newborn looked at William and then rose, forcing Ian up with him. He walked him towards us and then forced him to his knees in front of William. I reached out and laid a hand on Tara's arm as tears rolled down her face, but she didn't look at me. Her eyes never left her mate's.

"You amorous fool," William chuckled as he gazed at Ian. "It was brave of you to follow them, but foolish. However, I should thank you. You have just made the destruction of your family that much easier to accomplish." He looked at Catherine. "Take them to the army, and quickly. Make sure nothing goes awry this time." With that, he set fire to what remained of Henry and Dahlia, and then strode away.

"Yes, Father," she said. Locking a hand around one of my arms and another around Tara's, she began to run us west. "If either of you try anything stupid, Ryan there will kill him," Catherine threatened. "And remember, dear sister," she said to Tara. "I shall know if you try to shield him."

I frowned and looked from Tara into Catherine. How would she know that, especially if Tara didn't use her shield at maximum strength?

Catherine looked at me with a thin, smug smile, my question transferring into her mind. "You did not really think that my sisters were the only gifted members of our family?"

"She has a gift for knowing when others are using their gifts," Tara said shakily.

So that must have been how they knew when Tara was trying to contact Emily, I realized.

"Indeed," Catherine said. "You are not as dull as you appear."

I rolled my eyes and set my gaze forward, pulling my arm away. She reached out to snatch it again, but I dodged. "If you're threatening me with Ian's life, then you should obviously know that I'm not going to run. Therefore there's no need to hold my arm. I thought you would have understood that, but apparently you're even duller than you appear."

She glowered at me for a few seconds, but let it pass.

I began mentally resolving myself for whatever would come next. I focused on breathing as I worked to make a mental dike against the violent, rising waters of ice-cold panic that threatened to spring their barriers and drown me in fear. _Focus, Renesmee,_ I told myself.

My family members were good fighters; Uncle Jasper and Rob had taught them well. Aside from Mom, they all had previous experience. Not only that, but we'd faced situations like this before, and we always managed to pull through unscathed. They had each other, and they had the Winters' friends. Plus, about half of them had gifts, gifts that could potentially help us.

The waves of panic eased slightly.

_Good_, I thought to myself. _Keep going._

Rob and Uncle Emmett were to be my protection, no matter how idiotic it was of them to risk their lives for me.

The waves dropped an additional notch.

Jacob was an amazing fighter. He was prepared, he was strong, he was smart, he was driven, he was experienced and he had his brothers.

The waves dropped another few notches.

The pack was also strong, and they had been tracking the newborns for months now. And most of them had previous experience in fighting newborns, just like my family. They worked well together, and Sam would take care of them.

Down went the waves.

The Winters' friends knew what they were getting themselves into, and Rob had said that Adair and Ivan had had previous experience. They were also trained as best they could have been, given the time constraint, and they'd had very good instructors. They weren't going into this blind.

The waves fell further still, until they were almost at a manageable level.

Emily knew how William thought, how he planned and how he would act. That would give them an edge during the battle itself.

The waves receded, their energy leached by my torrent of positivity.

I nodded, pleased with myself, and raised my chin to stare defiantly into the unknown that I could hear approaching with rhythmic, purposeful footsteps.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

My hard-earned positivity began to crumble the moment that we broke through the last of the sparsely-leaved trees leading up to the foothills of the mountain and met up with William's army.

There were newborns everywhere, to say nothing of William's massive family, his allies, and Joham and his family.

I looked around for a moment to take in my surroundings. We were standing in a huge oval-shaped glade. To my left loomed the mountains with their snow-draped peaks. To my right, a frozen river meandered off into the horizon. There was no sign of civilization or distinguishable landmarks.

"Where are we?" I whispered to Tara.

She glanced at me. "Ten, maybe fifteen kilometres northeast of Nahanni Butte."

I watched Joham and William talking at what seemed to be the head of the assembly. Joham stood perhaps an inch or two taller than William, with chalky coffee-coloured skin and medium-length black hair. His eyes, which were of rich crimson, were set into a face that mirrored Nahuel's so closely that I found myself doing a double-take. He was dressed in ragged clothes that looked like they'd been pilfered from several people with radically different tastes in clothing. Apparently villainous "scientists" didn't like fashion.

His gaze flickered to mine as I came into view. Instead of averting mine, as I usually would have, I stared back evenly. The fear and dread coursing through my body had emboldened me.

"This is she?" I heard him ask William in oddly-accented English.

"Indeed," he said.

"Of what lineage is she?"

I glanced at Tara, raising an eyebrow.

"William taught him English in 1623," she murmured. "The last time he had it updated was when Em and William went to visit him in 1715."

"None of importance. She is the child of the Cullen leader's eldest…creation, and an insignificant woman, who is now an immortal."

I glared at him. How dare he call my mother insignificant?

"But not of a line known to us."

"No."

"Not all of us have sick monsters for parents," I said before I could stop myself.

Everyone looked at me.

I refused to meet their awestruck glances. William and Joham merely looked at me in amusement.

"Well, well," William said. "You are spirited aren't you, young one?"

"Pray, what is her age?" Joham asked.

The way this guy kept talking about me as though I weren't even there was starting to get on my nerves. I planned to make no attempt to make that fact subtle.

"Tara?" William said.

Tara scoffed.

William nodded to Ryan.

Ian gave a grunt as the newborn twisted his arms again.

"Eight," she said quickly. "She's eight."

"There," William said with a smug smile. "That wasn't so difficult, was it, my dear?"

I looked at him disgustedly. "You sick son of a –"

"Now, now, Miss Cullen. Anger is no excuse to be impolite," William said.

"When my family gets here, you will pay for this," I snarled.

Both William and Joham smiled in amusement. "Your family?" William said. He looked around at the army that he had assembled. "What chance do you really suppose that your family has against us?" he said with a mocking smile.

I looked again at his gathering. In addition to the newborns, which totalled eighteen, were eight half-breeds and about half a dozen mature vampires. The newborns watched Tara and me with hungry expressions. I noticed that all of their eyes were black.

_Why wouldn't he let them feed before a battle?_ I wondered. Even as I thought the question, I knew the answer. _Because he wants them good and thirsty so that they'll go after anyone with blood_, I realized.

The numbers added up in my head before I could stop them. Forty-one. William had assembled forty-one vampires. Our force stood at forty-seven.

_Forty-five_, I corrected myself as a wave of guilt-ridden sickness twisted in my stomach. _You're forgetting that Dahlia and Henry are already gone._

While we had the numbers, our help would be weaker – far weaker – than those that William had brought.

A rogue wave of fear punched against my wall of self-control.

_No,_ I told myself. _You're not going there, Renesmee. Do not start down this road. You're turning into your parents._

"Even with your newborn trainers, whom we plan to eliminate shortly," he added. "Your sacrifices will not have the strength of our army."

"Father!" called one of his daughters as she ran into the clearing. She had dark hair, like William's and Emily's, and bright hazel eyes. "They're less than four kilometres away."

William nodded, a small smile twisting up the corners of his mouth. "Excellent. Well done, Juliet."

The assembly snapped into motion suddenly. The newborns formed ranks behind William and Joham. Two young women with the same pale coffee-toned skin as Joham – his daughters, I presumed – fell into place behind him. One of the few matured vampires, a thin, strikingly beautiful woman with honey-coloured hair and dark red eyes, stood by William's side. The two exchanged smiles. Neither bore signs of so much as a trace of fear.

_I'll bet that's Mia_, I thought. I cast a sidelong glance at Tara. She was looking at the woman with a combination of sadness and rage.

I once more felt the weight of my inexperience.

"Catherine," William said without turning. "Bring them."

Catherine seized my arm again, but I did not protest this time. She dragged Tara and I forward, stopping only when we were directly behind William and his mate.

Complete and total silence fell. My eyes shifted along the horizon, desperate for a glimpse of my family and our army. My ears strained to pick up the sound of approaching footsteps.

After several long seconds, my patience was rewarded. Within half a minute, the first of the army came into view, as did the rising sun.

Squinting my eyes, I turned my head away from the glare as the sunlight glinted off of the vampires' skin. Once my eyes had adjusted to the extreme light, I saw that Emily and Grandpa Carlisle walked at the front, with Rob and Uncle Jasper just behind them. The look on her face sent a shiver down my spine, despite the fact that it was aimed at William, not me.

I searched up and down the line of wolves for my Jacob. I spotted him on the side nearest me, and was instantly showered with relief. Tara had already told me that he was all right, but to see the proof made it real. His muscles rippled beneath his russet fur as he shifted his weight from paw to paw impatiently. His dark eyes never left me.

I gave him a small smile to let him know that I was all right, and then located my parents' faces. Dad's eyes met mine at the precise moment I looked at him. He swallowed, his eyes wide, and then looked at Catherine.

William chuckled and took a step forward. "Well, well," he said. "If it isn't the prodigal daughter, returned to me at long last."

Emily stared back at him wordlessly. I could practically feel the hatred rolling off of her.

"And you've brought sport," William said.

Several of the newborns chuckled with anticipation, bloodlust gleaming in their ruby eyes. I shivered and looked back at my family.

Emily continued to stare at William as the army spread out behind her. Murmurs rippled through William's army as the wolves spread out on either side of the vampires. Several of the immortals stepped back.

I gave a small, smug smile.

"Taylors," Grandpa Carlisle said, stepping forth as well. "If any of you wish to reconsider and leave now, please do so. You will be spared, not only by us, but by the Volturi. I have spoken with them, and they have agreed to honour this offer. If you remain, however, we will be forced to kill you."

"Even if you manage to elude us –" Rob began to say, his cold eyes locked on his father-in-law.

"Not likely," Uncle Emmett put in with a dark smile.

"–The Volturi will hunt you down," Rob said.

The mutterings grew louder and more discontented at the mention of the Volturi.

William ignored him. "I must say, I expected this sort of weakness from you, Emily. Nor was I surprised when you polluted your sister's mind," he said, gesturing to Tara. "But you," he said, looking at Rebecca. "You disappoint me."

She lowered her eyes.

"This is your last chance, William," Emily snarled. "Admit your crimes and surrender. Let this be settled betwixt ourselves, as it should be, or prepare to watch all of them die."

"The only one who must die here today is you," William hissed at her, taking another step forward.

Rob darted in front of her immediately, his teeth barred. "If you as much as _move_, I will end you," he snarled.

I tensed.

William scoffed. "What have I to fear from you, boy?"

Rob growled.

He looked back at Emily. "I gave you a chance to turn from your folly. And still you act the fool. So you leave me with no choice."

The newborns inched forward around us, their bodies rigid with anticipation. I felt Catherine's hand tighten on my arm. I noticed my family crawling forward as well.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw one of the newborns continuing to edge his way forward.

"Go," William said.

He charged across the field, heading straight for Emily.

My eyes widened.

"No!" Tara shrieked.

Rob sank into a crouch in front of her. He grabbed the newborn's arm as he attempted to strike him. Kicking his legs out from beneath him, he slammed him into the ground. Once he was down, Rob planted one foot on his chest and pulled his arm off. The newborn gave a blood-curdling scream.

I cringed and looked away as Rob finished him.

All hell broke loose then. The rest of the newborns surged forward, followed by the Taylors and their allies. My heart began to pound as I watched them draw nearer to my family, who had also begun to advance. I closed my eyes as they collided with a metallic screech.

"Ryan, don't you dare," Catherine snarled at the newborn holding Ian as he began to release him.

"Come with me," Catherine snarled, pulling Tara and me back.

Emily and Uncle Emmett burst through the frenzy of bodies ahead of us suddenly. Emily's eyes burned into Catherine's. "You're going to pay for this."

"Oh am I?" she said, wrapping her hand around my throat.

I felt a stab of fear and snarled as I tried to pry her hand off, but she was stronger than me. Much stronger. This fact became more and more apparent as she continued to apply pressure.

"Let her go," Uncle Emmett said, his voice so low that it sent a shiver down my spine. "Or I'll have to make you. Trust me, sweetheart, you don't want me to have to make you."

She tightened her grip further in response.

I gagged, grimacing in pain.

Emily threw herself at Catherine suddenly. In her shock, Catherine released me. I lurched forward, coughing and hacking as I massaged my throat.

Uncle Emmett gripped my arms before I could even take a breath. "Are you okay?" he said quickly.

"Fine," I rasped.

"Good," he said. He chucked my chin, and then returned to the battle.

I glanced over my shoulder to see both Tara and Ian battling Ryan. As soon as he had been defeated, Ian pulled Tara into his arms.

I averted my eyes quickly, and just in time to see Catherine throw Emily to the ground and kneel on her ribs. "This is for my mother," she snarled as she curled her hands around Emily's throat, her voice filled with a degree of hate that I could not comprehend.

I was beginning to move to her aid when Emily knocked her off of her a flew to her feet, catching Catherine's neck this time. She twisted hard, resulting in a sickening sound that reminded me of snapping metal. Catherine's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

I cringed and shifted my eyes to Emily. She stood there for a moment and looked down at Catherine, her body trembling and her chest heaving. I could have sworn that I saw tears in her eyes as she turned slowly to face me.

"Find your grandfather. He'll take you to where we've decided to move the high-priority targets," she said, her voice shaking.

I hesitated. "That includes you, right? You'll come as well?"

"Yes, I will come. I'll meet you there shortly." She turned instead to her sister. "Tara," she said.

Tara made no response, too caught up in her reunion with Ian.

Emily sighed and marched over to the two. She pulled her away from Ian and then glared up at him. "You, sir, have a lot to explain," she growled, stabbing him in the chest with her finger. "Prepare to have your understanding of the word 'anger' redefined. Now take Nessie here to Carlisle. He's somewhere on the other side of the mountain. Cael is with him, and Jasper will be shortly. I'd like to speak with my sister for a moment, and if you even _think_ about doing something stupid, I will also be forced to also redefine the word 'pain' for you."

I half-smiled, and then followed Ian. My heart began to hammer faster still as I followed him around the edge of the fray. I deliberately set my eyes on his back, too terrified to shift my gaze to the battle itself. I was afraid of what I'd see.

Ian hissed as a newborn came at us from the side. I blinked, taken by surprise, as he collided into Ian. Remembering what my uncle and Rob had taught me, I instinctively ripped the newborn off of Ian. I ducked a clumsily-thrown blow that he aimed at my head and then darted behind him and leapt onto his back. Gripping his head tightly, I twisted hard, as Emily had done. My efforts were rewarded with a metallic shriek, and the newborn's head fell from my hands to the ground, his body collapsing shortly thereafter.

I stepped away from him and stared at his body for a moment, too shocked to react. I had just _killed_ someone.

"You did well, Nessie," Ian said. "Come on."

When I did not move, my gaze still transfixed to the body of the newborn I had just destroyed, he dragged me on through the mayhem and east towards the mountains. We climbed through a dell between two crags. Once we'd gained the forested summit, we followed Grandpa Carlisle's trail through the trees. We came across Cael first. He was pacing the area, his gaze shifting slowly.

"Anything?" Ian asked as we passed.

"Nothing," Cael replied. Jasper's got the wolves diffusing our scent trails. Where're Emily and Tara, anyway?"

"On their way. Emily wanted to speak to her."

He nodded, and then shifted his gaze to me. He frowned lightly. "Are you all right?"

I blinked. "I…" How to answer that question? I wasn't at all used to death the way everyone else was. I'd never even seen a body before David was murdered, and now I had left a casualty of my own in my wake. How had things ever reached this point?

"Come on," Ian said, pulling me along.

I followed wordlessly. We found Grandpa Carlisle on the other side of the mountain. He embraced me as soon as we reached him. "Are you well?" he asked immediately.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

"Where is Tara?"

"She's coming," Ian replied for me. "Em's bringing her."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded, his butterscotch eyes probing the shadowed forest behind me.

Uncle Jasper appeared then, trailed by Uncle Emmett. "Things are getting pretty exciting down there," Uncle Emmett said with a grin.

I didn't even want to know what he meant by that.

"I should get back," Ian said. "William's going to get suspicious if too many of us start disappearing."

I hesitated. "Is that a good idea?"

"I'll be all right," he assured me.

"Give it to 'em, brother," Uncle Emmett said, slapping him on the back.

Ian grinned. "That's what I do." He and Uncle Jasper exchanged nods, and then he turned and ran back the way we'd come.

I felt tears gathering as I watched him go. All of this was so wrong, so backward. Children fighting their father, sisters fighting sisters…

_No_, I told myself firmly. _You will be of no use to anyone if you start blathering now. Just get a grip_.

I took a deep breath to regain control of my emotions.

"That's very good, Nessie," Uncle Jasper said approvingly.

I nodded reflexively, still concentrating on not freaking out.

"Are you all right? I'm so sorry that I didn't get to you. I still can't believe that I didn't hear her approach."

"I'm fine," I answered for what felt like the millionth time today. "Really, Uncle Jasper. What happened was no fault of yours. Catherine had the whole thing planned. But what happened after she took me, anyway?"

"I followed you for a while, but the newborn was much faster, and Catherine split off and disappeared. Realizing that I was never going to reach you on my own, I went back. By the time I got there, Carlisle and Emmett had already gotten to Rob, Ian and Jacob."

"Just saving the day, as usual," Uncle Emmett said.

Uncle Jasper smiled, and then continued. "Jacob sustained some minor injuries, but he healed quickly. Aside from that, they were unscathed. Rob was quite upset about his car, though."

I gave a small smile. "Naturally."

"I would be too," Uncle Emmett put in. "That was a fine piece of automotive engineering."

"Be that as it may," Grandpa Carlisle said. "We must focus on the matter at hand."

"Agreed," Emily said as she and Tara appeared out of the woods. I watched Emily closely, curious to see if she was still upset over what had happened earlier. Her eyes were ice as she descended the hill and joined us.

"There you are," Grandpa Carlisle said. He hugged Tara tightly. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"What is this place, exactly?" I asked Emily as Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett greeted Tara. I looked around, trying to place the features.

She gave a hard smile. "It's called Twisted Mountain."

I raised an eyebrow. _How appropriate…_ I thought.

"Does William know of it?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

"No. Not to my knowledge, at least."

"How do you know about it?" I asked.

Emily glanced at Tara and pursed her lips. "Tara and I lived here for a few months after we left William."

"So that's why you chose this spot," I realized aloud.

She glanced at me. "I chose it based on logic, not sentiment."

I nodded, although I remained unconvinced of that.

"If William comes, you must take Tara and Nessie as far south as you possibly can. William would be far less likely to attack you if you were near civilization."

"What about the town on the other side of the river?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

"No, Nahanni Butte's far too small. William would wipe them all out before letting you get away without a fight. He'd be warier of larger settlements."

I shivered again.

"And what will you be doing while we go south?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

She glanced from Grandpa Carlisle to me and back again. "I will face William." Before either of us could voice our objections, she added, "I do not say this out of some misguided attempt to save you, and nor do I say it out of a desire to die. But William will never stop hunting me so long as one of us remains alive and I will stop at nothing to make sure that that one of us is _him_."

"How do you know that he'll even come?"

"He wants Tara, you and me dead, regardless of what he's told her to the contrary. It's most likely a ploy to get her to lower her guard. But he will want Nessie alive at the very least. The odds are that he will come if for no other reason than to ensure that he gets precisely what he wants. But I suspect that he'll also want to finish me himself," she said, her eyes becoming icier still. "He's been looking forward to it for over sixty years now."

"Wait, quiet," Uncle Emmett said suddenly, holding up his hand, his eyes wide.

We all stopped talking immediately. I looked around warily, my eyes scanning the mountains and trees, my ears straining to hear the sound that had so alarmed him. To the east, I could hear the snarls, hisses and screeches of the battle. To the south, on the other side of the mountain, I could hear the sound of the sluggish-moving waters of the river, and the symphony of heartbeats, cars, voices and countless other noises coming from the small town of Nahanni Butte. Closer to us were the countless sounds of nature, but nothing that I found particularly noteworthy, and certainly not distressing.

Grandpa Carlisle and I exchanged confused glances.

"What did you hear, Emmett?" he asked softly.

"It sounded like…footsteps," he said, his eyes still narrow.

"Well done, Mr. Cullen. What excellent senses you boast. "

I whirled around. William was standing on a low ledge, flanked by five newborns.

"Go," Emily said immediately without looking at me.

I didn't have to be told twice. I turned and began to run east, only to freeze to a halt as more newborns appeared in front of me. Uncle Emmett moved between William and Grandpa Carlisle while Uncle Jasper moved between the newborns and me.

"Isn't this cosy," William said, tilting his head.

My heart immediately resumed its frenzied pounding. I backed away, my eyes popping wide.

"Where's Rob? And Cael?" Emily demanded.

William gave a cold smile. "They're a little busy, I'm afraid." As he spoke, I could hear Rob and Cael's snarls, followed by more sounds of combat.

He looked at Emily and sighed. "I have been thinking about this day for a long time now; about what I would say, about how enjoyable it would be to finally exact upon you the punishment deserving of all spineless, weak-minded traitors." He gracefully leapt off of the precipice and landed mere feet from Uncle Emmett, the newborns following his lead.

He hissed, sinking into a crouch.

"You had better run while I still give you the chance," Emily said, her voice low and menacing. She took a step towards him so that she was standing at Uncle Emmett's shoulder. "You are not the only one who has been dreaming of this day for the past six decades."

"Is that so?" he chuckled. "Yes, you always were like me, weren't you? Exactly like me. I have always said thus, have I not? My mirror image, I used to call you. Remember that as you accuse me of villainy."

Emily stiffened.

I winced, taken aback by his cruelty, even in spite of everything I already knew about him.

"If I were anything like you, I would have ended myself long ago," she said.

"I am most grateful that you didn't. You would have robbed me off the satisfaction I will derive from killing you myself. And kill you I shall, just as I killed Lillian."

My jaw fell open. I heard Tara gasp.

"What?" Emily breathed.

"Didn't I tell you? She survived giving birth to your sister. Not by much, mind you, but she managed to be just strong enough to be an inconvenience. So I killed her. I even considered killing Tara, as well. After all, for what did I require another useless daughter?"

I felt my stomach turn and shot a glance at Emily. Her small frame trembled with rage.

"Em, take it easy," Uncle Jasper murmured to her.

"And then you went and dragged the Cullens into a family matter, although I suppose I would have had to eliminate them at any rate. So I suppose I should thank you. You've made it possible for me to kill two birds with one stone this day, as it were."

Emily uttered something that sounded halfway between a scream of rage and a snarl and threw herself at William.

The newborns burst into action then. Three of William's newborns rushed Uncle Emmett while the other two focused on Grandpa Carlisle. I moved to attack the newborn behind him when he stopped me.

"No, Nessie!" he shouted. "Stay there!"

I ground my teeth in frustration and sheer terror, but obeyed. I watched, horrified but unable to tear my eyes away, as William and Emily duelled. Emily had never been the best of fighters, and she was faring particularly poorly against an adversary as physically strong and experienced as William was. She was avoiding his blows well enough, but her offense was lacking dangerously.

Suddenly, as she attempted to sidestep another blow, William thrust his fist into her ribs. I heard a sickening snapping sound, reminiscent of the sound that Catherine's breaking neck had made, followed by a gasp of pain from Emily. She stumbled back, her face twisted into a grimace of pain as she watched William warily. She attempted to duck his next attack, but he was faster. He struck her hard across her face, causing another snap and sending her body flying into the precipice.

Things happened very quickly then. Grandpa Carlisle, seeing Emily fall, attempted to run to her aid, only to be knocked to the ground by a newborn. Uncle Jasper moved to defend him, but was prevented by a blonde-haired female and a red-haired male. William gave a sickening smile and began to walk towards his daughter's motionless body, splayed face-down across the ground.

Instinctively, a piercing, feral snarl ripped out of my throat. He stopped dead and turned to look at me. And then he abruptly disappeared in a blur of russet fur.

"_No_!" I screamed. It was the possibility of this moment that I had feared more than anything else since William had resurfaced in our lives.

Jacob snapped at William's head, but William dodged and whirled around to strike Jacob's flank. Jacob yowled in pain, but was hindered only for the briefest of moments. He charged at William again, snapping at his arm this time. William jumped back and, drawing his arm back, hit him squarely in the temple.

Jacob crumpled instantly.

"_NO_!" I screamed again.

As I watched William prepare to deal the death blow to the man who had been at my side from the first day of my existence, whatever few, small, lingering doubts I had about things between Jacob and me evaporated completely. You just didn't do stupid things like I was about to for people that you weren't completely and utterly sure were yours.

I leapt over Jacob's body and pushed William back. Crouching over him, I waited for William to make the next move.

He sighed. "You insist on being a nuisance, don't you?"

"One of my faults, I'm afraid," I snarled back. I angled my body carefully as I threw myself at him and knocked him off balance. William staggered to the left while I grabbed his arm and pushed him to the ground. I maintained my grip on his arm after he fell, intending to twist it off. Instead, he yanked me off of my feet and slammed me to the ground beside him in one swift motion. I struggled to get to my feet, but he was faster. He grabbed for my arm, but I rolled away quickly and leapt to my feet. I was preparing to strike again when he seized my left arm and sank his teeth deep into it, not once, but twice.

I gasped in pain and yanked my arm away, striking him in the head this time.

But that was all that I managed to do before I was wholly consumed by a kind of agony that knew no name. It was a degree of pain so perplexing that I didn't even immediately recognize it as pain. I suddenly found myself on the ground next to Jacob, unable to remember how I'd gotten there. The pain had completely destroyed my sense of direction. I heard screams – mine, I realized – but I found it strange that I couldn't seem to feel myself screaming. Actually, I couldn't feel much of anything.

But I could see. I could see my family watching me in horror as they also tried to defend themselves. I could see flashes of a dark-furred wolf fighting William. The wolf fought well. He was clearly experienced, and obviously very intelligent, but I couldn't seem to name him. The pain made that impossible. He was doing well, very well, until he left his left side unprotected just long enough for William to sink his teeth into him next.

As I lost consciousness, I saw the wolf fall.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Darkness is absolute. Darkness is unending. It fills every nook, every cranny, and every crevice. It does not discriminate. It is all-encompassing. It lasts forever. It's cold and frightening and foreboding, but also inexorable.

Until someone turns on a light.

Until the sun rises.

Until someone strikes that much-needed match and ignites a flame of hope, a beacon to light the way, to guide the lost traveller back to the warmth, comfort and familiarity of home.

Until you open your eyes.

Upon doing thus, my first sight was of the sky. It was dark again, and against the black tapestry of the heavens danced the northern lights. The Aurora Borealis. The spirits of the Inuit people, celebrating eternity in bursts of colour and hypnotic movement. The beautiful, unpredictable inconstant constant in the northern winter sky.

I lay there for a long time, just staring, and for a second, I managed to forget the horrors now eternally burned into my memory.

But after that second, it all washed back. And I quaked with fear.

Had we won? If we had, we would be safe. We would be free. We could get back to our lives.

But if we hadn't…if William had prevailed, I had to prepare myself to face the fact that most, if not all, of my family would be gone.

I closed my eyes again. I didn't want to know.

_No_, I realized after a moment. _I have to know._ Pursing my lips, I sat up slowly and prepared myself to face whatever fate had decided.

"Renesmee?"

I opened my eyes once more. Mom and Dad were kneeling in front of me now, their faces lined with stress. It was especially bad on Dad's face. It made him look far older than he was. My grandparents were behind them, their expressions equally strained.

"Mom," I said.

She bowed her head for a moment, sighing in relief. She hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. "You scared us," she half-sobbed, pulling me into her arms. "You scared us." She stroked my hair. Dad kissed the top of my head, wrapping his arms around us both.

"We didn't know what was happening to you," he whispered. "I thought he'd killed you." He kissed my hair again.

"Edward, Bella," Grandpa Carlisle said gently. "May I see my patient for a moment?"

After a moment, my parents pulled back. I tried to smile reassuringly at them.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Grandma Esme asked me as Grandpa Carlisle examined me.

I took a moment to ponder that. My head felt a little light, my muscles felt sore and I felt rather weak, but aside from that, I seemed to be healthy overall. "Not too bad. But I have no idea what happened to me."

"Venom," he said gravely. "It turns out that your kind is allergic to it, I suppose you could say. You had a seizure. William seems to have given you a particularly high dose. You barely survived."

I nodded, processing all of that. Emily's words from that sunny afternoon in town drifted back to me. It felt like a lifetime ago_. I suppose venom could be quite damaging in high enough quantities_, she'd said. _Concentrated venom – the venom of full vampires, in other words – is like a toxin to us. When it gets into our bloodstream, it reacts very badly with our own…_

I shivered, glad that I could not remember most of what had happened. But I was also intensely curious now as to what I'd missed.

"Yes, Emily told me about it," I said. "Where is she? And everyone else? Did they make it?"

His expression became grieved. "Come," he said, helping me up before I could ask anything else.

That single word sent tingles of terror down my spine.

Once I was up, I could see that I was in the same place that I'd fallen. Immediately, I caught a sweet, acrid scent that I would have known anywhere. Venom. _Burnt_ venom. The remnants of the smoke still hung in the air I saw a dark patches on the ground, around which the snow had melted. I swallowed, and decided to keep my eyes forward after that.

My legs felt heavy as I walked. I'd never felt so weak before. "I, um…" I began to say.

Mom wrapped her arm around my waist and helped me up the mountain. We hadn't quite reached the top when my trembling legs gave out from underneath me.

They all gasped in unison.

"Nessie!" Dad exclaimed.

"I'm okay," I said quickly, holding my hands up as everyone lunged at me at once. "I'm okay. Everyone breathe."

"Nessie, you just –" Dad began to say.

"I know what happened to me!" I snapped, my voice sounding harsher than I'd intended it to be. Anxiety was wearing my patience thin. I knew only one thing: I had to find Jacob.

From the top of the mountain, I could see down to the oval-shaped clearing where the armies had met. A few fires dotted the area sporadically now. Most seemed to have already burned out. I wondered how long I'd been unconscious. I recognized some of the vampires moving about the clearing, seemingly checking the woods for any stragglers. But most importantly, I could see the rest of my family.

Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett, Aunt Alice, Aunt Rosalie, Ian, Rob…but where were Tara and Emily?

And Jacob?

I couldn't seem to find the voice to speak the question that was burning on my tongue. I didn't know if I had the strength to hear the answer.

"Come along," Dad said.

Once we were back in the clearing, I faced the usual relieved swarm. By the time they'd all finished hugging me, my ribs ached. I looked around for several moments, trying to catch sight of Jacob in particular, but to no avail. I couldn't seem to see any of the wolves, for that matter.

"They're that way," Aunt Rose said softly, pointing towards the western side of the clearing.

I followed her gaze, but couldn't make them out.

The virtual silence was presently shattered by the lonely, bone-chilling howls of dozens of canine voices.

I tensed immediately.

If the pack was in mourning…

My heart stopped. "No," I whispered.

Without consciously deciding to, I found myself sprinting towards the edge of the clearing. Each footstep felt like it was in slow motion.

When I found them, they were sitting in a circle around a large fire. Beside the fire lay six bodies.

I froze to a halt.

Jude and Dan, two of the newest members of the pack were the first faces I recognized. Beside them lay Brady, Paul and Seth. And then my eyes fell upon the last of the casualties.

Sam.

I fell to my knees, gasping in horror.

Several of the wolves turned to look at me. Leah was closest to me. She began to shake with fury. She shot to her feet and ran at me, growling and snarling.

I gasped and took an automatic step back.

"_Stop, Leah_!" Jacob's voice boomed. I recognized the Alpha's double-timbre.

She stopped dead, her enraged eyes still boring into mine. Slowly the rage dissipated and gave away to intense anguish. She bowed her head and gave a low whine.

My heart broke for her. Tears sprang to my eyes as I slowly took a step towards her. I hesitated, and then reached out and touched her soft fur, prepared to withdraw my hand quickly if she reacted poorly. But she didn't move. Her shoulders just slumped.

I stroked her fur. "I'm so sorry," I breathed.

She pulled away quickly, and then turned and fled into the woods.

I stood there for a long time, my eyes roving over the faces of the grieving wolves. There was a single human amongst them.

Jacob stared back at me from the other side of the circle. His face was wet with tears, and his eyes were brimming with more moisture. He took a breath and then spoke. "Today we have lost six of our brothers," he said, his voice wavering. The howling ceased immediately. "Six. Our pack – no, our _tribe_ – hasn't faced this kind of loss since the days of Taha Aki and the Spirit Warriors. Like our ancestors who fought to protect our people, we can never forget why our brothers won't be coming home with us." He paused for a moment and bowed his head, his shoulder shaking with silent sobs.

I felt my knees trembling. Tears streamed ceaselessly down my face.

Several of the wolves growled and cast angry, grieved glances at me. I pursed my lips and avoided their accusing eyes.

"Vampires are _how_ they died," he continued after a moment. "And it would be easy for us to blame them, to hate them. But _why_ they died is way different. They didn't give their lives because of hate, but because of love. Love of their families. Love of their people. Love of their brothers and sisters. They died to protect them, to protect _us_, like our ancestors who they go to join today. They died bravely, and with honour, and with purpose. And it is up to us to make sure that that purpose is never forgotten, like our ancestor Taha Aki and the Spirit Warriors."

The wolves resumed their howling after a moment, but it was not quite as broken as it had been before. They were howls of agreement, of victory. But I barely heard it.

My eyes were locked on Jacob. Physically, he was the same Jacob I had always known. But in that instant, before my very eyes, he had transformed from being just the man that I'd always known and loved into a chief.

I walked slowly towards him and stopped when we were only a few feet apart. I stared up at him for a long time, and then threw my arms around his neck. His strong arms locked around me in reply. We held each other tightly, our sobs mingling.

"I'm so sorry," I managed to choke out repeatedly in between sobs. "I'm so sorry."

He held me tightly. "Me too," he whispered.

I looked up at him, curious as to what he had to be apologizing for, but was cut off by my grandfather's soft, sad voice.

"Jacob," he said.

The wolves fell silent again.

We both looked to see him standing with my grandmother, my parents and Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose.

"We are so sorry for your loss," he said sincerely. "I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must be to have lost so many of your brothers."

Jacob took a shaky breath and nodded. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"Our family would like to request the honour of burying your dead."

Several of the wolves hissed softly, but Jacob ignored them. I studied his face as he considered, curious as to what he would say.

"Thanks, Carlisle," he said. "But this is something that we need to do."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded. "I understand."

"How's the trial coming?" Jacob asked.

"Edward says they're taking testimonies at the moment."

I frowned in confusion and looked between him and Grandpa Carlisle in confusion. "What trial?"

My grandfather looked at me. "We've turned William over to the Volturi. Emily, Tara and Rebecca have gone as witnesses. William's eldest son is also testifying against him. He defected to our side during the battle."

"And the rest?" I asked quietly.

"Dead."

I closed my eyes. As evil as William was, as twisted as he had made his family, as bitter as he had made Emily and Tara, I still mourned the loss.

My eyes flew open again half a second later. "Even the child?"

"What child?" Grandma Esme asked, frowning.

"William's granddaughter. The one Emily told us about, the one that Tara befriended. I saw her in the cabin where I was held."

My family exchanged glances. "We saw no child," Dad said, frowning.

"She must still be there, then," Grandma Esme said, putting a hand to her throat. She touched my grandfather's arm. "We must find her. We can't just leave her there."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded. "As soon as they've finished with the Volturi, we'll have Emily and Tara show us the way."

Jacob nodded. "Sounds good."

Silence descended then. Finally, Grandpa Carlisle said, "Well, we shall leave you. If you need us, we will be in the field."

Jacob nodded again. "Alright. Thanks again."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded his head to him, and then offered me a pained smile. I attempted, and failed, to return it.

Once they had gone, Jacob let his breath out slowly and raked his fingers through his hair. "Okay, let's get this done," he said.

The wolves silently and solemnly rose and began to dig. I watched tearfully from Jacob's arms as they tore through the snow and frozen earth that would forever cover the bodies of six of their pack brothers. It was then that I realized the dark wolf that had fallen to save Jacob and me had been Sam. Sam, whom I had blamed for Jacob's injuries. Sam, whom I had so ignorantly belittled and underestimated. Sam, who had borne my tantrum in silence so that I wouldn't be worried about Jacob. Sam, who had had everything to live for, had sacrificed his life so that I might have one with Jacob.

I buried my face against his chest and gave another sob. The injustice of life had never been more apparent to me than it was then. How would we ever tell Emily about what had happened to Sam? And what about Rachel? How were we going to tell her that she was about to become a single mother? How would we tell Sue, who had already lost her husband, that she had now also lost her only son? And what about Jude's parents? Brady's? Dan's? They had feared what their sons had gotten involved with when they joined the pack, and it was now left to us to tell them that they no longer had sons at all. Where was the justice in it? Where was the closure?

And what about Emily and Tara? They had done their best to atone for their heritage, to live better lives than the ones they had been born into, and their reward had been to have their hand forced against their entire biological family. What of Rebecca? For choosing a life of conscience, she had had to betray the father she'd loved, the sisters and brothers she'd grown up with. What about the half-breed baby, Cali? She'd already been neglected by her own parents, and now everyone that she'd ever known apart from Tara was dead. Where was the justice in it? Where was the closure?

My heart broke, throbbed and bled all that the same time.

When I lifted my head to take a breath, I saw that the pack had finished digging. They were now emerging from the forest in human form, fresh tears glistening upon each sombre face. They resumed their circle and looked to Jacob for direction.

He cleared his throat after a brief pause. "Quil, Leah, get Seth, would you?" he said, his voice filled with so much emotion that it brought another sob to my throat. His pain made my own infinitely worse.

I watch Leah and Quil exchange glances before stepping forward. They walked slowly to where Seth lay. Leah knelt tearfully by his side and pressed a kiss to her younger brother's forehead before helping Quil lower him gently into his makeshift grave. She stood over it for a moment and then backed away, head bowed, shoulders shaking with soft sobs.

"Collin, Joey, get Brady."

Embry and Jared buried Paul beside him. Rory, the pack's only other female member, buried Dan, her elder cousin by two years, with Joey's help. When it came time to bury Jude, Jacob turned to me.

"Nessie, would you help Quil bury Jude?"

I studied him for a moment, understanding the significance of the gesture. I nodded and squeezed his hand before releasing it. Quil and I walked to where Jude lay and picked up his cold, lifeless body. I matched Quil's steps evenly as we approached the hollow in the ground where he would eternally lie.

Finally, it came time to bury Sam.

Jacob took a deep breath and looked at Leah. He nodded to her.

She nodded in reply. I knew how much Sam had meant to her, even though they had been broken up for years. The sobs grew louder as the pack watched their second Alpha's body being laid to rest in cold, foreign soil, thousands of miles from the home he had died for.

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed with guilt as he disappeared into the earth.

After the graves had been covered over, we stood there. All eyes were upon the upturned dirt. No one seemed to know what to say or do. But there were no words appropriate for a moment such as this. There was no manner of consolation that would fill the void that had been created in the pack's very heart.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when Jacob inhaled again. I looked at him, waiting for him to speak, but he said nothing as he led me back towards the clearing. The pack followed, silent as their new leader.

When we reached the clearing, the Winters were just returning, Ajay and Rebecca just behind them. They moved to stand with the rest of the family and what remained of their friends. I gave a soft gasp of horror as I noticed that the entire left side of Emily's face was covered in black and purple bruises. She walked with one arm wrapped lightly around her ribs, her expression pained.

"Guys," Ian said as he made his way toward us. He had his arm wrapped around Tara's thin waist as they slowly moved towards us. She did not appear to have fared much better. She favoured her left leg and hobbled towards us with her right. It was evident that she, too, was in tremendous amounts of pain. "Heads up. The Volturi are on their way here. Aro wants to speak with us. All of us." He seemed to notice the wolves then and cleared his throat. "Forgive me. Not all of us, just…" He sighed. "You know what I mean. Anyway, he also wants Nessie to testify."

I tensed. "Why?" I demanded, my voice jumping several octaves.

"Hell no," Jacob said immediately. "That is not happening."

"They're not asking, Jacob," Dad said gently. "Aro wants Nessie to testify about what William told her while he had her captive. He insists that he wants a 'well-rounded' investigation into this matter."

"Well he can figure something else out, because –"

"No, Jacob," I said quietly but firmly.

He looked at me quickly, his face puzzled. "What?"

"I have to do this," I said, studying his eyes. "It's the only way this will end, so we can go home. So we can put this behind us."

He frowned, but I could see that he would not protest. As much as he hated to admit it, I was right, and we both knew it. "I stay with you."

"No," I said lightly, laying my hand on his arm. "The pack needs you right now," I said, a lump of emotion forming in my throat. "You know that." I squeezed his arm lightly and then stepped back. I looked around at the pack and then moved to stand with my family.

"We'll go and make sure that the area has been cleaned up," Aunt Rose said.

"We wouldn't want any leftovers," Uncle Emmett added.

I rolled my eyes and exchanged exasperated glances with my mother, and then faced forward again as I heard the soft footsteps of immortals approaching.

I took a deep breath as that all-too-familiar swarm of ashy cloaks appeared before us.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The formation came to stop mere metres from us. Cael, Adair, Austin and the Canadians all shifted uncomfortably and slipped behind us as they approached.

"Heart of a tiger, eh Cael?" Ian muttered.

"Ah, shut up, McMaster," Cael muttered back.

Despite the tense situation and the grief that was still heavily upon my heart, I managed a tiny smile.

The ashy cloaks parted to permit Aro, Caius and Marcus to pass, flanked by Renata, Felix and Demetri. Felix dragged William with him, and behind them stood one of his sons. I recognized him from the cabin.

"My dear friends," Aro began, his voice as disturbingly pleasant as ever. "What a great relief it is to see all of you still alive and well."

"Thank you," Grandpa Carlisle replied. "We are grateful to you for seeing to agreeing to help."

"Not at all," Caius said. "After all, it is our purpose, is it not?"

"Indeed it is," Grandpa Carlisle confirmed.

Caius shot a pointed look at the Winters' friends and then looked back at us. "Twice now you have carried out acts against belligerents of our laws – not your responsibility to oversee, I think."

"This family has only ever carried out acts against threats directly related to our family's security. We would never presume to step beyond our brief, and any word to the contrary is inaccurate," Grandpa Carlisle replied serenely. "We merely do what we can."

Caius raised his eyebrows and shot a quick glance at Aro.

My breath caught as I realized how his reply might have been interpreted.

"Within our bounds, of course," Grandpa Carlisle added.

"Of course," Aro said, his expression carefully neutral, but I could see that the damage had been done. "At any rate, I wish only to hear from Renesmee before we make a final ruling."

I swallowed.

"Renesmee, if you would come forward?" Aro said.

I took a breath and reluctantly stepped forward, moving between Emily and Uncle Jasper. "I'm here."

He smiled lightly. "What a pleasure it is to see you again. I am glad you are well. I had heard that you were injured." He cast a quick glance at William.

"Thank you for your concern," I said as diplomatically as I could manage.

"Has the purpose of your summons been explained to you?"

"It has."

"Very well, then. Perhaps you could share with us what William told you."

I sucked in a breath and cautioned a glance at William. His narrowed ruby eyes were locked on me. His anger was evident, but I could also see that he knew he had lost, and it didn't seem like that was a feeling that he was particularly familiar with.

"Renesmee," Uncle Jasper murmured.

I blinked. "Right." I slowly uncurled my fists and forced myself to look at Aro; it was less unnerving than looking at William. "Maybe I could just show you?"

"Of course," he said, smiling. "I would be most eager to see your gift in use once more. I find it most intriguing."

I walked forward slowly towards his outstretched hand. I laid my palm against his and allowed my thoughts to transfer to his mind. He closed his eyes in concentration for a few seconds, and then opened them again. His expression was satisfied. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Black," he said, nodding his head to me.

I nodded in reply, and then returned to our side.

Aro inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. "Well. It would seem that William's conspiracy did not solely target the Cullens, but us as well," he said to Caius and Marcus.

While none of the Guard spoke, I saw them exchange surprised glances.

Marcus raised an eyebrow and looked at William. "Indeed?"

"So it would seem," Aro replied. "Apparently he had thought to dispense with us after destroying the Cullens." He chuckled and glanced at William again. "How very unfortunate for you that you underestimated them."

William shot a black glare at me. "She lies," he hissed.

"No she does not," Emily said immediately, her voice laced with pain.

"It would seem that you do not understand how my gift works," Aro said coolly to William. "By touching her hand, I can see every thought that she has ever had. I know that what she has shown me is in fact the truth."

William ground his teeth together and shot another furious black glare at me.

I looked away quickly.

"To continue, he had planned to use his newborn army to attack us," Aro said. "And after he got us out of the way, he intended to establish half-breed dominion." His voice was tinged with amusement as he finished. "It seems that you have been quite busy, my friend," he said to William, and then looked at us again. "We shall need a moment to deliberate. If there is anything that any of you should like to say before we make a decision, now is your opportunity."

I looked at Tara. Her lips were pressed into a line. She did not meet my gaze.

I looked at Emily next. She was staring at William with the same expression that she had borne when we'd first met him at Vancouver General Hospital two years earlier: torn between ripping him apart and bursting into tears.

When no one spoke, Aro, Caius and Marcus moved off to the side of the field to discuss their decision. I fidgeted as I watched them, anxious for them to hurry up and get this over with.

Long, torturous moments ticked by. I watched the stars as I waited, praying to whatever force had created our race – be it good or bad – that the Volturi would do what we all knew had to be done.

Finally, I saw them moving out of my peripheral vision. I watched expectantly as they drifted back towards the centre of the gathering. As usual, Aro spoke for the group. "We have come to a decision.

"Firstly, effective immediately, the creation of half-breeds is prohibited. We do not want a repetition of what has transpired. Under no circumstances will their creation be tolerated, and any who do not comply will be destroyed.

"Secondly, we have agreed to pardon Will," he said, gesturing to the son standing behind William.

I glanced at Dad for an explanation.

"He's the one that surrendered to us during the battle and agreed to testify against William," he murmured.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at him again. Well, that must have been upsetting for William. He had tried so hard for a son, and when he finally succeeded, he had betrayed him at the last minute.

I felt no sympathy for him.

"Lastly, for your acts of endangerment to our anonymity, William, you are condemned to death."

I heard Rebecca give a soft sob.

William ground his teeth.

"Felix, Demetri," Aro said, waving his hand to his captor.

Felix moved William to the side of the field. In a professional, detached manner, he held William steady while Demetri moved to stand in front of him.

"Adelaide," William hissed.

I glanced at her, and then followed her gaze back to William. Demetri had paused, and was watching curiously.

"_Honora patrem tuum_," he hissed. "May you never forget your failure."

She raised her chin and stared evenly at him for a moment. "_Sic semper tyrannis._ May you never forget yours."

I bowed my head and stared at the snow while Demetri wrenched his head off. Three hundred years of malevolence ended with one last metallic screech.

* * *

"Are you sure that you're not in pain?" Grandma Esme asked as she held my arm, examining the bite wounds on my arm. For some reason, they still had not healed.

"Yes, Grandma," I said for what must have been the hundredth time since we'd gotten back to the Winters' house the previous night.

She frowned, and then sighed, shaking her head. "I've never seen anything like that. You were screaming. We truly thought he'd killed you."

"Really, I'm okay." I looked out the window as she began to bandage my arm. Snow was falling peacefully, adding to the already substantial layer blanketing the ground. December hadn't even started yet, and already there was more snow here than we would see all winter in Washington.

"Jacob's in your guest room," Grandma Esme said softly.

I glanced at her.

"I knew you were going to ask eventually."

I half-smiled. "I'm not very hard to predict, am I?"

Her sheepish smile was answer enough.

"Is the pack with him?"

"No."

_Good_, I thought. Jacob had scarcely left the pack for anything since we'd gotten back. While I knew that they needed him, and that he needed them, I didn't particularly relish the thought of an audience for this particular conversation.

"Go on," she said as she finished with the bandaging.

"Thanks," I said. I got up and took a breath as I traced my way through the house to the basement. I walked slowly. Truthfully, I wasn't ready to face him yet. I needed time to scrape together a satisfactory explanation for all that I'd said and done and put him through.

I passed the living room on my way and paused in the doorway. Ian glanced at me and offered me a small smile. He rose and came to stand in front of me. "Hey," he said. "How're you feeling?"

I glanced at my arm. "A little weak," I admitted. "But I'm okay." I glanced into the room. Tara was sitting with her legs stretched out on the couch, her broken leg resting on a pillow. Beside her was Aunt Rose, who was trying to keep up with her ramblings. It always disturbed me when Tara rambled.

I glanced at Emily next. She was curled up on the couch opposite Tara's, her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared blankly out the window. Rob sat beside her, holding Cali in his lap. She was staring intently at him as he read to her.

"How are they?" I asked Ian quietly.

He sighed and followed my gaze. "Well, that's…that's difficult to say, really. Em's barely spoken since we got back. Tara, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be able to stop."

I grimaced. "What's the deal with Cali?" I asked.

He looked at her. "Rob and Em have decided to adopt her."

"Why not you and Tara? Tara's the one she knows," I pointed out.

"Em's the only one with experience in raising half-breeds. We all agreed that it would be for the best."

I nodded.

"Are you putting off going to speak with Jacob?"

I looked at him in surprise, and then chuckled. "I'm that obvious, am I?"

"Is there a good way to answer that question?"

"Probably not."

"Ian!"

We both looked at Tara.

"Some strawberries would be nice," she said, giving him a purposeful look accompanied by a sweet smile.

He smiled, and then looked back at me. "Well. I'll leave you to it."

I took a breath and resisted the urge to shudder at the thought of the mission that lay ahead. I mustered my courage and continued towards the guest room.

Upon descending the stairs, I saw Jacob sitting on one of the couches, his phone at his ear, his head in his hand. "Yes," I heard him say. "We're completely sure. It's all over." There was a pause. "Yeah. We lost six, including our leader."

I lowered my eyes and swallowed back a lump of emotion in my throat.

"That's not necessary," Jacob continued. There was a pause, and then he said, "Well, that's very generous. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yes. Probably in the next few days or so. Thanks again, Chief Redwood." He shut his phone and laid it on the glass coffee table in front of him, exhaling.

I stood there for a moment, unsure if he'd heard me approach, and unsure of what I'd say if he had.

"Do you need something?" he asked without looking at me.

I pursed my lips. "Yes."

"Shoot."

"You."

That seemed to get his attention. He looked at me, and then shifted his gaze away. "I told you that you had me from day one. The element in question here is you."

I opened my mouth to speak, but apparently he wasn't finished.

"Nessie, for months you have been toying with me, with next to no explanation. I swear, I was starting to think you were bipolar or something."

I chewed my lip. "I deserved that," I acknowledged.

"Did I?"

I grimaced.

"Did I, Renesmee? Because if I did, just point out why and I'll just shut up and leave you alone. But you know that imprinting wasn't my fault, and if you have such a problem with it, then you shouldn't have let your family waste their money on a wedding. But hey, it's never too late to set things right. So when we get home, I'll have Jasper take me to that J. Jenks guy, I'll get us some divorce papers, and then I'll pack up and go home. It's not what I want, it's not what I _ever_ wanted, but I'll humour you, because that seems to be all that I'm good for."

"Stop," I exclaimed, horrified. "Jake, please stop. I didn't come here to torment you. I came here to tell you that you were right. About everything."

He blinked, speechless.

I jumped on the opportunity and then continued. "You were right. I can't look out for myself. If Sam hadn't attacked William, I'd be dead right now. I don't know how to be self-reliant. I've never had to, like you said.

"The truth is, I've rushed into everything I've ever done. I feel like I have to constantly prove myself to everyone else, to show them I'm not the baby they were all ready to die for to protect eight years ago. And in the process, I screw things up, and I hurt people and that person usually ends up being you.

"Imprinting was never the problem for me, not really. Jake, I live in constant fear of you waking up some day and realizing that I'm just me. I'm not as strong as my mom or as smart as my dad. I'm just me, and you could do so much better. I'm selfish enough to want you to take your choice away from you, because if you looked, I fear that you'd find someone more worthy, someone better suited to you.

"I doubted you because I doubted myself, and it was easiest to blame my doubts on the part of our relationship that I don't understand. I know I'm silly and insecure and weak, and if I've ruined everything and things are completely over between us, then so be it. At least we can both walk away knowing that we tried. But if not, then I'm asking you to forgive me. I'm asking you to take me back, complete with weakness and insecurity."

I watched him closely when I had finished, gauging his expression and waited for him to respond, my breath catching in my throat.

Jacob finally sighed and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Nessie…"

My hands began to tremble as I waited for him to continue.

"You're wrong."

I blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"You're wrong about me being right about everything. I'm not. In fact, I was pretty much as wrong as you were.

"I was wrong to keep things from you, like what happened with the newborns. You may have tried to grow up even faster than you did naturally, but you're also more grown up than we're used to giving you credit for. As my wife, I had no right to lie to you.

"I was wrong about you not knowing how to look out for yourself, too."

It was my turn to be surprised. "How's that?"

"From where I was standing, it looked to me like you not only saved Emily's life, but mine, too. And Ian's, from what I've heard.

"I know that you feel like you have to prove yourself. And you do. You're not as weak as you think. But I've never asked you to be more than you are. I've never _wanted_ you to be more than you are."

He sighed again. "Okay. You see yourself as the Rosaline girl, right? The girl that Romeo's so insane over that he goes kind of freaky? And you're afraid that some day I'll find someone else, like what happened with your mom? Well, you're seeing it all wrong. You're not Rosaline, you're Juliet. You're the one that Romeo – me, in this scenario – forgot everyone else for, the one that he chose to give up his mortal life for. You're not the one I forgot, you're the one I found."

I just stared, unblinking.

He half-smiled. "I read books too, you know. I read it a while ago. I know it's one of your favourites."

I continued to stare.

"I'm not going to lie, I kind of hated it. Tara was right, Romeo's a bit of a douche."

I felt my lips turn up in a smile against my will.

"I'm sorry, hon. I mean, I know it's a classic all, but who the heck talks like that? Anyway, the point is, you have every right to question all of this. Yes, it's weird, I admit, but it's not the only reason we're together. It's not what made me love you. I know you like my metaphors, so I'll try this out: imprinting was like the fuel for the fire, but _you_, who _you_ are, that was the spark that lit the flames for me, and it's the wood that keeps it burning. For me, there's no going back, not even if I wanted to."

I felt a hot tear trickle down my cheek. I wiped it away and moved to kneel in front of him. I took his huge, strong hands in mine. "I love you, Jacob Black."

He looked at me for a moment and then hugged me tightly. "Is that your choice?"

I nodded. "I choose you."

He hugged me tighter. "I love you, Nessie Black, and it will _always_ be you."

I smiled. "Even if I make you read more Shakespeare?"

"Ooh. No, I'm not sure about that. That might be a deal-breaker."

I punched his shoulder.

We both laughed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

I awoke the following morning when my doctors arrived for their morning examination. Rob and Emily, who was still virtually silent, had been checking in with me three times a day lately. Grandpa Carlisle sometimes observed, but today he had spent most of the day discussing the future of werewolf/Cullen relations with Jacob, so I hadn't seen much of either of them.

"I still can't understand why the pack lost so many," I remarked as Rob cut through my bandages.

"From what I saw, it seemed that the newborns knew about the wolves, and how to kill them. They were not at all taken off guard as Jasper and I had hoped they would be. In fact, it almost seemed as though they were trying to target them specifically."

"But then why did they seem so disturbed when the wolves showed up?" I pointed out.

He gave a grim smile. "Facing an enemy is never precisely what you expect, regardless of foreknowledge and preparation. Actually, I would wager that fear was part of what made them pursue the wolves so ruthlessly."

"How?"

"I don't know if it's the same for all newborns, but when I was young, I could convert almost any emotion to aggression, which, for someone in my position, was extremely helpful. I imagine it would be even better for destroying an opponent you've only ever heard of."

"We lost our fair share too," Emily murmured.

Rob and I both glanced at her, but neither of us replied. For a moment I was distracted by her appearance. The horrific bruises along her jaw – which William had broken, I had since learned, along with four of her ribs – were a mottled yellow colour now. Her face was an unhealthy chalky colour, and her eyes, deep blue with thirst and unusually dull, sported dark circles. But her terrible appearance was a testament to the truth of her statement. We'd lost Henry, Dahlia, Raj, Ivan, Elizaveta and Julianna. It had also come to light that William had not only found out about Uncle Jasper from Peter and Charlotte, but he'd killed them afterwards to prevent them from telling anyone that he'd been asking questions. I'd not seen Uncle Jasper or Aunt Alice since.

In addition to Emily, Tara, Jacob and I, Rebecca and Embry had also been wounded. Uncle Jasper, Rob, Ajay and even Mom had walked away with fresh bite marks.

"I'm sorry about your friends," I said quietly. "I know you considered them your family."

Pain flickered across Rob's face. He lowered his eyes, and then cleared his throat and returned to work. "My concern is more for Jacob, not for myself. I can only imagine his grief."

I sighed. Jacob's sadness was crippling. After our reconciliation, he'd more or less returned to his state of depression. He kept it hidden as best he could from the pack, but he didn't seem to be able to keep up the façade with me.

"But it could have been worse," he conceded. "We might have lost more, far more." His gaze flicked to Emily briefly.

We had been prepared for the fact that the Taylors would be after our immediate family, and so we'd been better prepared. But it had never even crossed my mind that they would target the wolves. Ever since our return, I'd been trying to convince myself that we hadn't led them to the slaughter.

"Why would they have gone after them anyway?" I asked softly.

"If I were William, it's what I would do."

"But why?" I asked, frowning.

"Well," he said, cleansing my gradually-healing wounds, first with water, and then with rubbing alcohol. I grimaced at its sting. "William's four hundred years old. He knows all about vampires. Werewolves, however, he would have known nothing about, other than the fact that there are plenty of them, they're massive, they protect your family and they're partially mortal. However, without specific numbers, undefined abilities, unknown strength and ability, and no way by which to predict their movements and behaviour, they are an unknown and dangerous variable. Any prudent tactician would dispose of them first. And William was nothing if not a prudent tactician, and a calculating one at that."

I looked at Emily as she turned away from us.

"But William had them playing with the border at La Push. Surely he must have  
learned something," I reasoned.

"Something, yes," Rob agreed. "But not enough to make them less dangerous to him. Besides, Jacob and his pack were quite thorough about dispatching the newborns. Unless they were regularly travelling between here and Yellowknife, they couldn't have reported much of what they did discover to him."

"But how would they have known about the venom?"

"That I cannot say. But it's hardly an uncommon myth. Stories about the rivalry between wolves and our kind are as ancient as we are."

"Peter and Charlotte," Emily murmured.

We both glanced at her again.

"What was that, dearest?" Rob asked quietly.

"Peter and Charlotte. Jasper told me that he warned them about the wolves in case things went badly with the Volturi eight years ago. They probably told him before they realized his intentions."

I shuddered as the lifeless faces of Jacob's brothers drifted into my mind. "What's wrong with my arm?" I asked, changing the subject before the thought could take root in my mind. I didn't want to start crying again; I was so tried of crying. "That should have healed ages ago."

Emily answered, but kept her back to us. "As you've experienced, a venomous bite conflicts with your own venom. Because they cannot exist together, the result of this conflict is that both end up destroying the other. You will remain weak for several days, until your venom supply has time to regenerate."

"So you're saying right now that I have no venom in me whatsoever?" I said.

"Yes."

"So…for the next little while, I'm basically human."

"Essentially, yes." She was silent for a moment, and then slowly turned back to face us. "But you will eventually heal, and I daresay that when you do, you will find yourself stronger than before." With that, she turned and drifted from the room.

I watched her go. "How is she?" I asked quietly.

He sighed softly. "She's struggling, but that's more than I've heard her say in the past two days combined. I believe killing her family was more difficult than she anticipated." He began to rebind my arm. "She plans to stay behind with Tara when we leave tomorrow."

I frowned. "Why would she do that?"

"Something about visiting Lillian's grave before she leaves, and showing it to Tara."

I still could not believe that he had killed his own wife. Even more incredible than that, I couldn't believe that his wife had actually survived giving birth to Tara. I could still recall my first memories as plainly and clearly as the day I'd had them. They were of my mother's weak, bloodied face. Her frail, human face. It was the face of a dying woman. And to imagine that Tara's mother had managed to suffer the same ordeal, and _survive_… That was a kind of strength that I doubted I would ever be able to fully comprehend.

Once Rob had finished, he gathered up his implements. "I'll go check on Rebecca."

I nodded. "Thanks, Rob."

"You're perfectly welcome." He offered me a small smile and then went upstairs.

I followed a few moments later. The emptiness of the house struck me. I'd gotten so used to having extra people around. Only Adair and Austin remained now of our guests.

"Nessie? Is something wrong?" Mom asked, rising quickly as I entered the living room.

I tried not to smile. "No, Mom."

"Are you sure? Does your arm hurt? Do you need some pain medication?" she said.

"I can get some," Dad said, jumping up.

"No, really, it's okay," I assured him.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

He reluctantly sat back down.

I took a seat beside Aunt Alice and sighed quietly. I wondered (fearfully) how long it would be until all of their extra obsessing over my wellbeing would end.

"So has Rob checked in on you yet?" Mom inquired.

I nodded. "Em was with him. She said something about me basically being human for the next few days."

"What?" all three asked at the same time, bearing matching looks of confusion.

"She said that the pure venom and mine burned each other out, and it's left me with none for the moment," I explained.

"How does she know so much about this?" Mom asked.

I heard Aunt Alice snicker quietly, Dad buried his head in his hands and moaned, and I instantly turned bright red.

"Right. I don't think I want to know, then," she said.

"_Anyway,_ she said it'll regenerate within a few days," I said, quickly changing the topic.

Dad's head snapped up. "But for the present, you are completely susceptible to germs, sickness, disease, injury, death…" His eyes widened.

"Oh just _stop_!" Aunt Alice snapped. "You are so incredibly _annoying_ sometimes! A few days without venom won't kill her! There's no need for you to have a panic attack over _everything_!"

I looked at her in surprise, as did my parents.

She exhaled. "Sorry."

He nodded his head. "It's all right."

"Alice?" Mom asked, frowning in concern. "What's wrong?"

She sighed heavily. "I've been rather frustrated with my vision lately."

"How?"

She fidgeted. "I hate that I didn't see all of this coming."

"William's plan?" I guessed.

She nodded, bowing her head. "And what he did to Peter and Charlotte. Things might have turned out much differently if I'd just tried harder."

"There was nothing more that you could have done, Alice," Dad said. "I saw his mind. William knew about your gift. He knew about all of our gifts. He also knew how to work around your particular ability. You were over-extending as it was. You can't blame yourself, especially not considering that you wouldn't have been able to see the majority of his plan anyway, since it revolved around half-breeds. As for Peter and Charlotte…" It was his turn to sigh.

Mom shook her head. "How is Jasper?"

"Yeah," I said, frowning in concern. "I haven't seen him."

She pursed her lips unhappily. "He's devastated. They were his first actual friends. They were the ones responsible for showing him a life outside of the newborn army."

"Where is he?" Mom asked softly.

"Hunting with Emmett," she replied. "They both needed to blow off some steam."

The mention of hunting suddenly made me thirsty. I cursed my temporary humanity.

"I can make you something, if you'd like," Dad offered.

"No, I'll get it," I sighed, rising again.

"Make sure you disinfect everything. And check expiration dates."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a pointed look. "Father."

"Right. Sorry."

Cali and Emily were already in the kitchen when I arrived. Emily was sitting beside her at the island in the centre of the room, trying to talk her into eating the plate of eggs set in front of her.

"I don't like eggs. Grandfather never made me eat eggs," she said resolutely. Her accent was a strange combination of French, British and Canadian.

Emily sighed. "Alexandria, please."

I frowned in confusion. "Alexandria?"

Both looked at me. Emily glanced back at the child as she rose. "Please just take three bites. That's all I ask."

"No," the girl retorted.

Emily shot exasperated look heavenward and walked over the fridge. "Do you need something?" she asked me.

"I'm just here for food," I said, following her. "But why are you calling her Alexandria?"

She did not answer immediately. "Rob and I want to give her a fresh start," she said, her voice low as she dug through the fridge. "And we also don't want any of William's old friends to come looking for her."

"But why Alexandria?"

She shrugged slightly. "It's what I would have named my daughter, if I were capable of bearing one."

"Aren't you?" I asked.

She gave a short laugh. "I've been married thirty-eight years, Nessie. Believe you me, if it were going to happen, it would have happened long before now."

"Oh," I said, instantly going crimson. For a moment, we were silent. Finally, I asked, "Are you okay?"

She paused and looked at me. Her face was carefully arranged into a neutral expression. "Yes. Why would I not be?"

"I don't know, maybe because your father was put to death less than a week ago, along with almost all of your siblings."

She looked away quickly, but not before I saw tears gathering in her eyes. She swallowed and turned her back to me. "This is not what I wanted," she said softly. "This is not what I ever wanted." She glanced at Alex. "To have to take charge of my niece because I've killed her indifferent parents, because they were trying to kill the people I love... To have your family put at risk because of your association with me... To kill my sister with my own hands... To become my father's enemy, and then watch him killed.. But then, I didn't ask to be born to a killer, either. I didn't want any of that. But you will find that many things in life happen that you do not want. But wanting what is right...that matters more than getting what you want. So you must deal with what is given to you, and then pick up and move on."

I nodded and studied her for a moment.

She exhaled. "Now, what would you like to eat?" she asked, closing the fridge and exploring the cupboards instead.

"Would you like my eggs?" Alexandria offered.

I looked at her and smiled. "I think you're meant to eat those."

"No I'm not," she retorted.

"Yes you are," Emily said. "And you bloody well know it."

"I won't eat them!" she declared.

Emily closed her eyes and exhaled, massaging her temples.

"You know," I said, walking back over to the island. "I hated food too when I was a kid, but eggs were the only food I really liked. They taste better than you think."

"No they don't. They're gross," she said flatly. "I only like chocolate."

"Me too, but eggs are better for you," I said.

"I don't care. I hate eggs," she said, pushing the plate away. "Can I have chocolate?"

"No," Emily said.

"I'll go to Aunt Tara! She won't make me eat them!"

"You are most welcome to. She will tell you the same thing I have."

"Fine! I'll ask Rob."

"Ask Rob what, Princess?" he said, wandering into the room.

"Do I have to eat this?" she asked, gesturing to the plate.

I winced and shook my head slightly, hoping he would take a hint.

He smiled. "Well of course you don –" he started to say, and then caught the look Emily was shooting him. He cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, of course, if that's what Em has told you to do."

She scowled and then leapt off the chair and flashed down the hall.

"Let her go," Emily said. 'She'll eat it when she gets hungry enough." She looked at me. "Aren't children fun?"

I merely looked in the direction that Alexandria had stormed off in, finding myself at a loss for words.

* * *

I was sitting on one of the leather couches in the den that afternoon, just staring into the fire when I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I caught Jacob's scent the moment he entered the room.

He dropped onto the couch beside me and leaned back with a sigh.

I tore my eyes away from the flames and looked at him. "Hey," I said.

"Hey," he sighed, closing his eyes. I was surprised by how exhausted he looked. I knew he hadn't been sleeping well, but I hadn't thought it was that bad.

I rubbed his shoulder. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"I…I'm…"

"Yeah. Thought so."

He gave a grim smile.

"How's Leah?"

"Pretty broken up."

"And the rest?"

"Not much better." He paused. "The rest of the pack knows by now. I've ordered them not to say a word about it until we get back. I don't want the families to know until I can give them some answers."

I doubted that anything we told them would be adequate. Really, there were no answers to help the families understand what had happened. There was no rhyme or reason for an evil like William's. It defied comprehension, much less explanation.

"So what did you and Grandpa Carlisle discuss?" I asked.

"We've decided to sort of…combine forces. We've agreed that we'll both deal with any future threats to the area. Mi casa, su casa kind of idea. Anyway, we're also going to try to have more interaction."

"Between us and the pack, you mean?" I asked. It would be interesting to see how that would go over, on both sides.

He nodded. "We're going to try to get everyone more comfortable with each other. We also talked about being more…open."

"And I would imagine that that would include _not_ lying about newborn attacks?" I said, giving him a pointed look.

He gave me the lopsided smile that I could never resist.

"Stop it," I ordered, slapping his arm and looking away before he could dazzle me.

He chuckled. "I can't believe that that actually works."

"Oh quit gloating, wolf-man."

"You know you secretly enjoy it."

"_Moving on_," I said, fighting a smile. "There's something else we need to talk about."

The conversation didn't take long. What had to happen was obvious to us both. But then came the difficult part.

After slipping Tara a twenty to mentally shield Jacob and me (I wanted Dad to find out at the same time as everyone else), we rallied the whole family and the pack to the living room.

I watched as everyone took their seats, exchanging glances and murmuring to each other, looking at us curiously.

"Ready?" Jacob whispered in my ear, squeezing my hand.

"As I'm ever going to be," I replied. Once everyone was settled, I began. "So, Jacob and I have been toying with an idea for a while now. We have discussed it at length, and we think that this would be the best time, given the circumstances and everything that's happened. Jacob has more responsibilities in La Push now, and things are going to be even crazier for the next year or so. So, we've decided to move back."

The first thing that I saw was the horror that flashed across my parents' faces. "_What_?" they said at exactly the same time.

"Yes!" Quil and Embry said, beaming.

"You can't be serious!" Dad exclaimed.

I had guessed that they would be the hardest to reason with. "Look, we're adults now. We've been married for a year, and having us at home drives you insane anyway, Dad."

"That doesn't mean I want you to _leave_!"

"We need to do this. You knew this was going to happen eventually. It'll be hard for me too, but this is the twenty-first century. It's not like you'll never see me again. You can call all the time," I said. I paused and reconsidered that statement. "Well, not all the time," I qualified, because knowing my father, he _would_ call all the time if I left that possibility open to him.

"Besides, La Push isn't far," Jacob added. "We can visit."

"When will you go?" Grandpa Carlisle asked softly, his expression pained.

"As soon as we can get our things together and make arrangements in La Push," Jacob said.

"You can live with me!" Quil said.

"No! I call dibs!" Embry said, pushing him.

"You can't call dibs! I called it first!"

"Dibs trumps first-call!"

"Yeah? On what planet?"

"What makes you think they'd want to live with either of you?" Jared said. "Clearly I'm the better choice here."

Jacob and I exchanged glances. "Well, uh sorry to burst some bubbles, but we'll probably stay with Billy," he said.

"What about your sister?" Grandma Esme asked. "Paul mentioned that she was expecting."

He sighed unhappily. "I'll see if she'll move in, too. I don't want her to be on her own."

"Would you at least let us build you a bigger house?" Aunt Alice said. "It was rather squishy the last time we were there."

Jacob chuckled. "Good luck getting that one past Billy."

She gave him a pouty look.

"But now who am I going to beat into a pulp?" Uncle Emmett whined.

_Oh dear. Here we go_, I thought. My uncle and Jacob were like

But Jacob merely sighed and shook his head.

"I'm up for it," Ian said immediately.

"Ian." Rob gave him a warning look.

"What?" he asked innocently, looking at his brother. "Someone needs to keep him humble."

"Right," Jacob continued. "Now, when we get back, the Quinault have graciously offered to pay for the funeral. I know that at the least the chief and his council will be attending, but they'll probably bring their families, too, and who knows who else might show up. So the dog jokes have to stop," he said.

Uncle Emmett, Aunt Rose and Ian all looked acutely disappointed.

"We don't know how much they know yet," I added. "Chief Redwood clearly does, but we don't know about the rest of them. And if they don't, what they don't know won't hurt them, so we want to keep it that way."

"No vampire jokes, either," Jacob said, looking at the pack.

"What?" Embry exclaimed. "You can't be serious! They obviously already know about leeches. They came hammering on your front door, didn't they? What kind of a chief would deprive of us of our leech jokes?"

"This one," Jacob retorted simply.

"So you plan to stay in La Push after the funeral?" Dad said.

"That's the plan," I said, nodding.

Mom's lips trembled. She bowed her head.

I swallowed, guilt sweeping over me. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I wish this could be easier, but we have to do this. You understand, don't you?"

She nodded but said nothing.

Dad wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We understand, Nessie. You have our blessing."

I gave a sad smile and walked over to hug him. He held me tightly and kissed my cheek. After a few moments, he let me go.

"Thank you," I said. I looked at Mom next.

I sighed and hugged her next. "It'll be okay, Mom."

She nodded and exhaled. "I know. But it's so not helping right now."

I smiled. "Hey," I said, drawing back. "Let's save all the messy stuff for when we actually go."

She nodded again. "Sounds good. It'll give me some time to work up to it."

I chuckled.

"Emily?" I heard Alexandria whisper. "Can I have her room?"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

The drive home felt like waiting for a hurricane on an island in the middle of nowhere: you knew it was coming, you knew it would be terrible, and you knew that there was no escaping it and there nothing you could do to stop it. There was no helicopter to get you out of the way. There was no running. When it hit, you would simply have to hope that you would be adequately prepared for its fury.

Jacob decided to go with the pack, so I drove home with Rob, Alexandria, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose. My aunt and uncle were quite taken with the child, and Rob was still stewing unhappily. True to their word, Emily and Tara had remained behind, and he had made no attempt to keep his displeasure about that fact a secret. Thus, I spent most of the car ride staring out the window in silence.

"So," said Uncle Emmett after a few hours, turning around in his seat. "Aren't you glad you have me for the car ride back, Ness?"

I glanced at him briefly, and then looked back outside. "Looks like I pulled the short straw."

He laughed. "That's good. Did Edward teach you that one?"

"Nope."

"Bella?"

"I came up with it all by myself."

"Are you all right?" Aunt Rose asked quietly.

I sighed. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm okay. Just…tired," I said. Really tired, in fact. Every time I shut my eyes, I was plagued with nightmares, nightmares worse than any that I'd ever had before. I knew Jacob had them too. I'd caught him writhing and muttering in his sleep a few times.

But in truth, as exhausted as I was, it had nothing to do with my foul mood. I didn't know how to face the Quileutes. Sam had told the parents that weren't in on their children's secret that he was taking them up north for a hiking trip in the Northwest Territories. The story now was that there had been a rock slide. It felt like an insult, lying to the families this way. They would be devastated by this, and we couldn't even give them the respect of telling them the truth about how they had really died. I knew it was necessary, of course. But it didn't make any of this easier.

Sue would know, and she would hate me all the more. But she had every right to. While I knew Jake would give her the same speech that he'd given the pack, it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't make her like me any better and it wouldn't bring Seth back. Words wouldn't bring any of them back.

I started, taken by surprise as a Beatles song blasted onto the car speakers. "Uncle Emmett, what the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed.

"This car is too quiet," he said. "Now sing with me! _All you need is love_… I don't hear you singing!"

"And you won't, Uncle Emmett. You won't," I replied.

"I'll sing!" Alexandria chimed in her high-pitched voice, and joined Uncle Emmett in belting out the chorus.

Rob reached over to turn down the volume, meriting a cry of protest from my juvenile uncle. "You are not going to fry my speakers the way you fried Carlisle's. I'm down to four cars now. I can't afford to have anything else happen."

"You're no fun," Alexandria said, scowling in a manner which, I had to admit, was completely adorable.

"Yes, you'll learn that about me," Rob replied seriously.

"Please?" she said, batting her eyes at him.

He looked at her in the rear-view mirror, and then turned it back up with a sigh.

* * *

The return journey took two days. Since there was no time constraint, Grandpa Carlisle had insisted that we stop for food and rest more regularly.

We parted at La Push. My family returned to Ocean Shores while I stayed with Jacob and the pack, despite his protests.

"Nessie, I need to smooth things out with the council first," he said. "This is not going to be pretty, and I don't want them blaming you for this."

"Tough," I said, staring at him evenly. "We're doing this together."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you're starting to catch on. That's good," I said. I smiled at his exasperated expression, and then sobered. "Come on." I took his hand. We waved goodbye to my parents and sent the pack home before walking slowly to Billy's house.

He was sitting on the porch with Grandpa Charlie when we arrived.

"Nessie!" Grandpa Charlie exclaimed. "Hey, kid! What're you doing here?"

"Hey, Grandpa." I hugged him and kissed his cheek and then turned to greet Billy. "Hey, Billy."

"Come give your father-in-law a hug," he smiled.

I returned his smile and obeyed, kissing his cheek as well.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked, glancing at Jacob. I could see the relief in his eyes at seeing his son delivered.

Jacob cleared his throat. "We uh…we have bad news."

I swallowed, my happiness instantly squelched. I looked at Jacob.

He met my gaze for a moment and then swallowed. His eyes were moist. "There was an accident. A rockslide…" he began.

Horror and understanding flashed across Billy's face as he bowed his head and closed his eyes.

Grandpa Charlie, however, did not seem to understand. "And?"

"We…we tried to get to them," Jacob said, tears now freely rolling down his cheeks. "But we couldn't. There was nothing we could do."

The same horror that darkened Billy's expression now flashed across Grandpa Charlie's face. "How many kids are we talking about?"

"Dan, Brady, Jude, Seth –"

"_Clearwater_?" Grandpa Charlie exclaimed.

Jacob nodded, tears filling his eyes. I moved to stand beside him and laid a hand on his back comfortingly, swallowing back a lump of emotion whilst tears began to pool in my own eyes.

"Who else?" Billy asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Paul and…Sam."

Billy's head lifted.

"Sam? _Gone_?" Grandpa Charlie gasped.

"Was anyone from your family hurt?" Billy asked me.

"Bella?" Grandpa Charlie choked. "Is…Is Bells okay?"

"She's okay," I told him. I looked at Billy. "And…no. Everyone from my family made it. There were some injuries, a few of them were serious, but…we're all okay."

A series of emotions flashed across his face, ranging from anger to relief and finally settling on acceptance. He nodded his head. "That's good."

Grandpa Charlie stood there for a moment, looking between Jacob, Billy and me. "I'll leave you to talk," he said, clearing his throat. He touched my arm. "Good to see you, hon. Tell your mom I'm thinking of her, and that I'm glad she's okay." After a moment, he reluctantly asked, "Your dad's okay too, right?"

I gave a small attempt at a smile and nodded. "He's fine."

"Well that's…good too." He looked next at Billy. "I'm really sorry."

Billy nodded.

He patted Jacob's back, and then got into his cruiser and left.

Once he was gone, Billy dropped his head into his hands and gave a shuddering sigh. "Tell me everything."

We told Billy the entire story, from the newborns that had chased me through the forest a few months earlier right up to the end of the battle. Billy said nothing, but tears streamed down his face ceaselessly.

Silence fell for several moments after we had finished. Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching from inside the house.

"Jake? Is that you I hear? Oh, hi, Nessie," Rachel smiled, appearing in the doorway. Her smile slowly faded as she took in our expressions. "What's going on? Where's Paul?"

Jacob turned his head away, and Billy closed his eyes again.

She looked to me instead, fear creeping across her face. "Nessie, where is he?"

I pursed my lips. "Rachel…I'm so sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking.

Rachel began to shake her head slowly, her hands dropping to her huge stomach. "No. No, that's not possible. He's immortal." She turned on Jacob. "How…How is that possible?" she demanded, her voice breaking. "You promised me he would be _safe_! You _promised_!"

"It's not his fault," I said. "He didn't do this."

"_How could you let this happen_?" she screamed at him.

"Stop it, Rachel," Billy said firmly. "He's not responsible for this."

She stood there for a moment, trembling, and then began to sob.

I wiped away my own tears and moved to hug her, but she pushed me away. "No!" she screamed. "Get away from me! It's your kind that did this! I don't want you near me!"

I looked at her in shock, but stepped back.

She gasped suddenly, her eyes going round.

I frowned, alarm shooting through me. "Rachel? Rachel, what's wrong?"

She gasped again, clutching her stomach harder.

"Jake, call an ambulance," I said urgently.

"No time," she gasped. "Get me to a hospital."

* * *

As I sat in the hospital waiting room, I tried to keep my expression as stoic as possible. As it was, Jacob was emotional enough for the both of us.

We'd been here two days, and he'd spent almost the entire time pacing the waiting room restlessly. Behind a blank façade, his dark eyes burned with torture. I knew that Rachel's words had affected him, regardless of how many times he tried to tell me otherwise. I knew that no matter how many times I told him that it was just the shock talking, I knew that no manner of consolation would lessen the sting of his sister's accusations.

I had to admit, I had been slightly hurt when she had refused to allow me to go into the delivery room with her and insisted on being alone. Logically I knew that that was probably best, given how long it had been since I'd last hunted. But my emotions refused to match up with my mind.

Billy sat in the corner, his weary gaze locked on some spot on the floor. I had tried to get him to talk at first, but it hadn't taken me long to realize that my attempts were uselses.

Jacob sat down for a moment, alternating between wringing his hands and tapping his foot for almost five minutes before getting up and recommencing his incessant pacing.

"Jake," I sighed. "Please."

"She was right," he muttered. "She was right. This was me. This is on me," he muttered to himself for the three hundred and seventy-second time in the past fourteen hours.

"Jacob, if you don't sit, I'm calling Uncle Jasper, and we both know it won't take him very long to get here if _I_ call," I threatened.

"I can't," he whispered, shaking his head vehemently.

"_Jacob_."

All three of us looked towards the sound of the voice to discover Emily standing near the door. Her eyes were still moist, and the good half of her face was stricken.

Jacob stopped immediately.

"Sit."

He did so automatically.

"Emily," I said, rising and hugging her. "I'm so sorry." The words seemed hollow and meaningless in light of the sheer gravity of her loss, but they were all that I could offer.

She returned my embrace firmly. "Nessie," she said. "I'm so glad you're okay."

_I'm not glad_, I wanted to say. The price of my life had been Sam's, and that did not seem like an adequate exchange to me any way you sliced it. But, I tried to force a smile. "Thank you," I replied. "Where're your kids?"

"With Leah."

"So did Leah tell you that Rachel was in labour, then?"

Emily nodded.

"Has she told…?" I began to ask softly, swallowing back the guilt that immediately began to rise.

"Yes," she replied gravely.

"And how is she?"

"About how you'd expect."

I sighed quietly.

She looked at Jacob. "How's he been?"

"About how you' d expect."

She nodded. "Mind if I try?"

"Be my guest."

She sat down beside him and sighed quietly. "This is not your fault, Jake," she told him. "You couldn't control what happened to Paul anymore than you could control what happened to Sam."

Jacob buried his face in his hands.

"Jacob," she said again.

He didn't look at her this time.

"I don't blame you. And no matter what Rachel says right now, I can guarantee you that she doesn't either. She's in shock, and she's scared, Jake. She doesn't mean what she says right now. He died protecting his family, just like…" She swallowed and bowed her head.

I shuddered, refusing to imagine myself in her position.

"I'm looking for the family of Rachel Jones?" said a doctor, striding into the waiting room.

We all shot to our feet.

"Yes," Billy rasped.

"The baby is premature," he said. "But she's the healthiest and strongest preemie I've ever seen."

"How's Rachel?" Emily asked.

"She's doing well," he said. "She'll be fine."  
_  
Physically, maybe_, I thought. "Can we see her now?" I inquired.

He nodded. "I don't see why not. I'll show you to her recovery room."

At the end of a long, non-descript white hallway was Rachel's room. She was sitting propped up against a mound of pillows, holding a small baby in her arms. Her eyes flicked to us as we entered the room. She gave a small smile. "Hey, Emily."

"Hi," Emily said, stepping past Jacob and me and making her way over to Rachel's bed. "How're you feeling?"

She sighed quietly.

"Yeah," Emily said. "I hear you."

I stood back and watched as she interacted with the rest of her family. Despite being a Black, I felt as utterly out of place in that room as a snowflake in Hell. It became clear in that moment that I would only ever be a Black in name to Rachel. Despite being her brother's wife, I would still be the woman who was responsible for the death of her husband, and as one in the same strange imprinting predicament that she was, I had a pretty good idea of what the emotional ramifications of her loss would entail (after all, I had faced it before, although I hadn't handled it even a tenth as well as she was handling it now). And as such, I knew that she would never forget. But I would never truly belong in her eyes.

I bowed my head and swallowed again. I felt like crying, but this was no time for that. Today was not about me, and I refused to take Jacob's attention away from her. After all, I deserved this. I wasn't by any means blameless in the matter of Paul's death. I wondered if I would have a similar reception from the rest of the denizens of La Push. I had practically grown up as one of them in the years where the line between vampires and werewolves had been blurred, but it seemed to me already as though this had redefined the line that separated us.

Emily left a few hours later, taking Billy with her. Jacob departed shortly thereafter to get us some food, thus leaving Rachel and me in an incredibly uncomfortable silence.

"You can sit down, you know," she said.

I glanced at her, and then slowly drifted into a chair near the door.

She sighed quietly. "You can come closer, you know. I'm not diseased."

"Right," I said quickly. "Sorry." I moved closer and gazed at the small body in her arms. "Have you thought of any names?"

"Paula," she said quickly. "I'm calling her Paula. Paula Sarah Jones."

I nodded slowly. "Paula. Nice."

Silence fell for a long time. I had begun to play with my wedding rings nervously when she spoke again.

"Were you there when he…?" Tears gathered in her eyes as she asked.

"No," I said. "I was…bitten. I was out of it for I don't even know how long. My kind is violently allergic to pure venom. It's like a toxin to us."

"Oh," she said. As an afterthought, she added, "Are you all right now?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Good." She was silent for another few seconds before she said, "What I said to Jacob before…I didn't mean it. Does he know that?"

I pursed my lips for a moment. "I think so, but it would mean a lot coming from your lips."

She nodded, and then gave a single airy chuckle. "He can be so sensitive sometimes."

I gave a small smile. "Yeah."

We were presently interrupted by Paula's soft sniffling which quickly escalated into throaty wails. She _was_ beautiful, just as Paul had said she would be.

"Could you hold her for a moment?" Rachel sighed.

I blinked in surprise as she held the child out to me. I hesitantly took it, surprised by the show of trust.

The baby was feather-light to me. Her russet skin was still a reddish colour, and on the top of her head was a crop of black hair. By some miracle, the minute she touched my arms, she fell silent. Perhaps I wasn't as much of an outcast as I had supposed?

I smiled at her. "Hi, Paula. I'm your Aunt Nessie. I actually have a long, complicated name, but let's just stick with Nessie, huh? Much simpler."

I might have sworn that I saw Rachel smiling out of the corner of my eye.

"Thank goodness your mommy had a more normal name for you," I said.

Jacob returned then with food for the two of us. He glanced at Paula and me and gave a tiny smile. I returned it.

After returning Paula to her mother, eating our food and driving Billy back to the hospital, Jacob and I returned to Ocean Shores to start packing.

"When is the funeral going to be?" I asked him as we neared the house. We'd been silent for most of the drive.

"I'm thinking two or three days. It'll give us some time to pack our stuff and meet up with Chief Redwood."

I nodded. "What about Chief Black? How's he doing?"

He inhaled deeply and then exhaled. I reached over to twine my fingers with his free hand as I waited for him to reply. "I'm…better."

I kissed the back of his hand. "Good."

The scene waiting for us when we arrived was surprising to say the least.

Nahuel, of all people, was standing in our front yard, with his aunt Huilen by his side. A few feet away were my family. Emily stood at the head, glowering hatefully at him.

"…And if you _ever _come near us again, you faithless snake, I promise you, I will harm you in ways you never could have imagined were possible," she snarled at him.

"Emily!" Grandpa Carlisle admonished. "Stop this immediately!"

"You will keep your poison away from my family and me," she continued, ignoring him completely. "Understand this: things are not as they were. If I hear of _anything_ amiss – and you know very well that I shall – I will know who is responsible for it, and, well…use your imagination. Is that clear, or is it necessary for me to spell it out in simpler terms for you?"

Nahuel merely bowed his head and accepted her abuse in silence.

I looked at Emily with unmasked shock.

Jacob, mirroring my thoughts exactly, asked, "What exactly did we miss?"

Nahuel looked at us. He offered me a small smile. "Hello, Renesmee."

"Hi," I replied, still puzzled.

"This bastard mongrel has come to insult us with an _apology _for his betrayal," Emily spat.

I saw Nahuel's jaw flex.

"Emily," Grandpa Carlisle said firmly. "I desire that you go inside _immediately_. You have said more than enough."

"Do you truly suppose that I will leave him to infect your ears with his vile lies?" Emily practically shouted at him. "Joham was exactly the same! He was a master of words. He could persuade one to do whatever he wanted and manipulate his barbaric lunacy in such a way as to make it seem logical, to make it seem _excusable_! He did it with William, he did it with me, and were it not for him, _none of this would have happened_!"

Silence fell for a moment. Emily seemed taken aback by her own outburst. She bowed her head, pursing her lips. "I digress," she said after she had regained control of herself.

"It does not seem so," Nahuel murmured.

She shot another glare at him. "Remember well my words, boy," she said, and then spun on her heel and stormed away.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed heavily. "I apologize, Nahuel. She has been quite unstable of late."

He glanced after her. "She is not incorrect about my father, at least. And it is true, I was deplorably disloyal. I beg your forgiveness."

"There is nothing to be forgiven, Nahuel. I'm sure any of us would have made the same decision had we been in your place, even my wife," Rob said. "I beg you not to take her too seriously."

"Understatement," Ian said, pretending to cough.

"Shut up, Ian," Tara muttered.

Nahuel glanced at her. "You are William's daughter?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"And…he's dead?"

She swallowed and confirmed it again.

"And my father?"

"Dead as well," Rob said quietly.

He lowered his eyes and then gave a nod of resignation. "And my sisters?"

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle said. "I'm so very sorry."

I wasn't sure that I could take anymore tragedy and sadness today. "Jake," I murmured.

He nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty much thinking the same," he murmured.

We excused ourselves and went inside as quickly as we could without seeming rude. Jacob got us some food while I started packing up our room.

Mom walked into the room a few moments later. "Hey," she said.

I looked at her. "Hey," I replied.

"How're you feeling?"

I sighed. Were there even words?

"Is your wound bothering you at all?"

I glanced at my arm. "No." The wound wasn't the irritating part. The weakness, the perpetual hunger and thirst and tiredness, the extra hormones and the reduced vision, hearing and speed were what really irritated me. It felt like I was doing everything in slow motion, and everyone else was being fast-forwarded around me. I'd even noticed my brain working slower. Humanity sucked. I couldn't fathom why anyone would miss it.

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Nessie. Talk to me."

"What's there to say?" I asked, glancing at her as I continued to pack.

"There's always something to say. How did things go with Rachel? How was La Push?"

"I saw Grandpa Charlie," I said.

"Really?" she said, her expression brightening. "How's he looking?"

I shrugged. "He seems fine. He asked about you."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much."

"Elaborate?"

"He just wanted to know if you and Dad were okay."

She frowned as she gazed at me. "Renesmee, what's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said just a little too quickly, cursing my crippling inability to fib.

"Nessie."

I looked at her with as innocent an expression as I could muster.

"What happened in La Push?"

I sighed. "You know, I hardly see how it's fair that you get to know when I'm lying even though you suck at lying yourself."

"Consider it a mother's prerogative. Now stop trying to avoid the subject. Talk to me. What happened?"

I sighed. "Rachel didn't take it very well at first. She blamed everything on Jacob."

"And you?"

"Well…yeah."

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that that's probably going to happen a lot?"

"Thanks, Mom, I feel much better now."

"Well I'm sorry, honey, but I'm trying to be real here."

"Yeah, I get that." And I knew I needed it, but there was nothing that I wanted less than to be faced with even more reality. "What happened with the FBI?" I asked, desperate to get her attention off of me.

"Oh, that," she said. "It…it went okay. They showed up shortly after we got back. They probably had surveillance on the house or something like that. Anyway, I'm glad we had Ian. He talked us out of the whole thing. Got us off with some kind of evidence."

"Aunt Alice?" I guessed. My small aunt was notoriously fond of manufacturing evidence.

"Probably," she agreed. "We have to lay extra low for the next while. We're officially on their radar, and we never know when they might show up again. Anyway, after that was taken care of, Carlisle and Rob went to the hospital and managed to B.S. their way through some kind of explanation. The administration is mostly female, and, well, you've seen how that goes."

I chuckled at the thought of Rob and Grandpa Carlisle using their inhuman handsomeness to their own ends. "And how did that go?"

"Oh, they all resigned, of course. They would have been fired anyway, even with the dazzling. Ian's fired, too, but on that note, he wanted me to tell you that he's procured a high school diploma for Jacob."

"Well, that was nice of him," I said. "But Jacob will never accept it. He wants to earn it."

"He did. Apparently he had the highest average in the class. Ian told me."

I looked at her for a moment. I felt a smile spread across my face slowly. "Jake is going to be so thrilled."

"I know," she said, smiling excitedly. "Can I tell him, or do you want to?"

"Tell who what now?" Jacob said, appearing in the doorway with a sandwich on a plate in each hand.

I smiled and shook my head. It seemed that some things would never change after all.


	23. Epilogue

Author's Note: This concludes our story. We have both decided to retire from writing fan fiction, but we once again wish to thank everyone who has read and reviewed our stories. Your support has been deeply appreciated. :)

-Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson

* * *

Epilogue

The funeral was a solemn affair. Chief Redwood had brought the entire Quinault tribal council, and half of the community. Almost all of the Quileute attended, as did my family, though they respectfully kept to the fringes of the gathering. Ajay and Rebecca arrived shortly after the ceremony began and stood even farther back, keeping a safe distance between themselves and the wolves.

I heard more than a few disapproving mutters as I took my place beside Jacob after arriving with my family. I saw Sue Clearwater glowering at me out of the corner of my eye.

_Just ignore it_, I told myself. _You haven't come this far to let this affect you now. It's going to happen. A lot. You know that, and there's nothing you can do about it. It is what it is, and you are what you are. They can deal with that, or they can not. It's up to them._

When the service ended, Jacob and I were swarmed by a seemingly never ending stream of condolers. Chief Redwood and his wife were the last to speak to us. He extended his hand to Jacob. "Thank you for allowing us to do this for you."

"Thank _you_," Jacob said, shaking his hand. "I can't tell you how much this means to us."

"It's the least we could do," he said. He glanced at me. "And uh…I suppose I need to thank you as well."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Well, it was your…people that found my son's killer." He glanced past me to look at my family. "Please thank your leader for me," he said.

"He can hear you," I pointed out.

"Really?" he asked. He looked back at them. "Well. Thank you."

I followed his gaze to see Grandpa Carlisle return his nod.

"Well, I should be going," he said. "Take care, Jacob Black."

"And you," he replied.

"You too, Mrs. Black," he said to me, and then left.

_Mrs. Black_, I mused as I watched the last of the mourners leave. _I really am Mrs. Black._

* * *

After the funeral, we said goodbye to my family and drove our things over to Billy's house to begin unpacking. I'd had to downsize my personal library considerably, as Billy's tiny house just would not house a collection of that size. I'd decided to donate them to the community library instead.

"So, what's the plan now?" I asked Jacob as I moved our clothes to the closet.

He glanced at me. "Plan?"

"You know. The plan."

"Well, there's a council meeting tonight, if that's what you mean."

"Okay. But I was thinking long-term."

He sat down on the bed for a moment and sighed. "I actually…don't know."

"So we're on a make-it-up-as-we-go kind of plan?"

He looked at me with his crooked smile. "Guess so. Haven't we always?"

I had to concede to his point.

"But hey, it's still a plan. Seems to have worked for us so far."

There was a knock on the door then. We both glanced over to see Emily and Tara standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to intrude," Emily said.

"Yeah right," said Jacob.

She smiled. "You really are getting to know me too well."

"I thought you'd all gone back to Forks," I said. I'd said goodbye to my parents hours ago after denying their offers to help us unpack for the thousandth time. Billy's house just wasn't big enough for all of us to move around in.

"Everyone else has," Tara said. "We…we wanted to talk to the two of you first."

"Shoot," Jacob said. "I'd offer you a seat, but, well…" The room was, quite frankly, a complete and utter disaster. I was surprised that Emily hadn't commented.

"That's alright," Tara said, and then glanced at Emily.

Emily cleared her throat. "We wanted to thank you."

"Thank us?" I asked, frowning slightly. "For what?"

"We're indebted to both of your families, of course, but it seems that the two of you had the most to sacrifice."

"How so?" Jacob inquired.

"Well, talking your brothers into coming with us, for one," Tara said. "We're really grateful, and really sorry."

I glanced at Jacob. The same sadness that rippled through me flickered in his eyes. He lowered them. "We knew what we were getting into," he said, clearing his throat.

"Did you?" Emily asked softly.

"Yes," he said, raising his eyes to meet hers.

She seemed unconvinced, but continued. "Nevertheless, we also realize that the added stress put a strain on your marriage."

"Especially certain stupid comments," Tara said, blushing.

Jacob and I exchanged smiles. "Come on now, _Scarlet_," he said. "You really don't think you get the responsibility for that one, now do you?"

"Yeah," I added. "Gees. Give us some credit here."

"Well, I don't think I helped."

"Tara, honestly, it wasn't your fault," I told her. "Listen to Ian once in a while, will you?"

She gave a small smile.

"Yes, he does get something right every once in a while," Emily said. "But at any rate, I doubt that either of us would be here were it not for you. The two of you saved my life at the battle. Had you not distracted William, I would be dead, without question."

I tried not to remember the battle, but the unwanted memories washed back. I swallowed as the image of the falling black wolf filled my mind. I dreaded the prospect of being shackled to that memory for eternity.

"So, I thank you for my life, and in all likelihood, for Rob's as well."

Jacob nodded. "Sure, sure." He sighed. "Now are we done being all mature and serious? Because I think I've had more than enough of that for today."

Emily smiled. "Yes. Actually, we'd best be going."

"Rob and Ian are still all nervous about us being on our own," Tara said.

"Bloody idiots," Emily muttered.

"So we should probably get back before they come looking for us."

"I give it another twenty minutes."

"I say five," Tara countered.

"Two hundred?"

"Two hundred."

They both nodded and shook hands.

Jacob and I chuckled.

"There's one more thing we wanted to ask before we go," Emily said. "See, we're slowly trying to persuade –"

"And by persuade, she means bully," Tara put in.

Emily gave her a look. "–Ajay and Rebecca into coming to live with us. We were hoping we could move them into your room."

"Which is not to say that you're not still welcome at home. There's a guest room that you can use whenever you want to come, which is not to say that you'll be guests, but –"

Emily sighed. "Tara."

She looked at her.

"Shut up."

Tara stopped talking.

"What my long-winded little sister is trying to ask is if that's alright with you."

I smiled. "Yes. That's fine."

"Excellent." She smiled. "Well, we expect you to visit us often. And expect us to be visiting you constantly."

"We will," I smiled. I knew my parents would be as well.

Tara and Emily's phones began to ring at precisely the same time. They both rolled their eyes and took out their phones.

"What do you want now, Robin?" Emily snapped.

"Yes, Ian?" Tara said at the same time.

Emily sighed again after a few seconds and tossed the phone back into her purse without ending the call. "We'll see you later."

"Aren't you going to talk to him?" I asked.

She laughed. "I've been talking to him for thirty-eight years, and I have to listen to his voice for the rest of eternity. Why would I talk to him now?"

"Yes, we're coming, Ian," Tara was saying exasperatedly.

Emily took the phone from her with a wicked smile. "We'll be a few minutes yet, Mutant. We're going to pay a visit to Jeff first."

I laughed at the horrified look on Tara's face.

"What do you mean, Jeff who?" Emily said as she continued walking towards the car. "_The_ Jeff! Yes, _that_ Jeff! Oh, is that so? And how exactly do you plan to stop me?"

Tara waved to us and then tried to snatch the phone back as she followed.

Jacob and I walked them to the door and then watched them go.

"You know, I'm going to kind of miss them," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's not going to be the same without the chaos."

He chuckled.

* * *

The mood at the tribal council meeting that night was much similar to that of the funeral. There was none of the usual joking around and rambunctiousness. As soon as the meeting was over, everyone left, leaving Jacob and me to sit by the fire.

"Well. This is going to be…different," he said.

"No kidding," I sighed. Sue hadn't so much as glanced at me throughout the meeting, and the rest of the tribe had been more depressed than I'd ever seen them. I wondered how long all of this would last.

"Want to go for a walk?" he inquired.

"Sure," I said. We both rose and headed for the beach. "Oh, wait," I said, stopping to pull my copy of Romeo and Juliet out of the oversized sweater that I'd borrowed from Jacob. I rushed back to the fire and tossed it into the flames before returning to him. "There. All done."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Did you just burn a _book_?"

"Yep. And it felt great." I took his hand and walked away without looking back.

As we walked along the beach, we talked about the tribe, Sue, the funeral, Rachel and Paula, and, most importantly, "the plan".

I casually pulled my hand from his to run my fingers through my hair. "So," I said, sitting down on the sand. I leaned back against a piece of driftwood. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What?" he asked, sitting down beside me.

I looked out at the calm waters, lit by the pale, silvery light of the moon. Folding my hands over my stomach, I smiled.


End file.
